New Delhi: Sixty-three cases of students using unfair means were reported in NEET-UG, out of whom 23 have been debarred for varying periods, NTA officials said Wednesday, June 12, but reiterated that the sanctity of the medical entrance exam hasn’t been compromised and there has been no paper leak.
The results of the remaining 40 candidates who were found using unfair means have been withheld, NTA DG Subodh Kumar Singh told PTI.
“A committee was constituted consisting of three eminent experts in the field of examination and academics to put forward different types of cases reported, such as impersonation, cheating, and tampering with the OMR sheet,” NTA DG Subodh Kumar Singh told PTI.
“On recommendations of the panel, 12 candidates were debarred from taking the exam for three years, nine candidates were debarred for two years, and two candidates were debarred for one year each. The results of the remaining candidates have been withheld. The panel had given recommendations for each case,” Singh added.
The total number of cases of the usage of unfair means was 63, he said.
The agency is under criticism amid allegations of irregularities and the inflation of marks in the crucial medical entrance exam.
The matter has also reached the top court, which said on Tuesday that the sanctity of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), 2024, has been affected and sought responses from the Center and the National Testing Agency (NTA) on another plea seeking holding of the examination afresh on grounds of an alleged question paper leak and other malpractices.
Amid fire from protesting students and opposition parties, the Education Ministry last week set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to 1,563 students to compensate them for time lost due to a delay in starting examinations at certain centers.
“The panel has yet to submit its report. Depending upon the panel’s recommendations, either a retest will be conducted for nearly 1,600 students or an alternate mechanism may be devised to ensure no candidate faces any disadvantage,” he said.
Asked about allegations of mark inflation, due to which 67 candidates have bagged the top rank, Singh said that out of 67 candidates who got 720 out of 720 marks, 44 received marks on account of revision of the answer key in physics and 6 on account of loss of time.
“Only two candidates who got grace marks have received 718 and 719 marks,” he clarified.
