NEET UG Row: SC Refuses to Stay NEET Counselling, NTA Offers Re-test On June 23 | LIVE

In the NEET exam case, the NTA is committed to take appropriate action by following the instructions of the Supreme Court. As per the instructions of the Supreme Court, the examination of 1,563 students will be conducted again, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says in a post on ‘X’.

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) today organised a protest outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstration was held to express strong opposition to the proposed restructuring of the NEET examination, termed Re-NEET.

The protest saw participation from numerous students and NSUI members who gathered peacefully to voice their concerns.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to medical courses, saying awarding grace marks was 'unacceptable' as it amounted to fraud.

The growing resentment and protest across the country to holding the NEET only strengthened the DMK’s repeated plea to abolish the screening test, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said.

“The National Testing Agency has to be blamed for the irregularities and confusion arising due to the conduct of the test, especially awarding grace marks. What was the basis for granting grace marks and has this decision been communicated to the NEET aspirants?” Subramanian asked.

The irregularities and confusion have only caused mental agony to 23 lakh candidates who appeared for the test, he told reporters here and claimed that none from Tamil Nadu were given grace marks.

The Health Minister accused former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of allowing NEET into the state despite his party supremo and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa opposing it.

Demanding justice for the aspirants, Subramanian said NEET has denied many students, especially those with rural background and economically weaker, an opportunity to access medical education.  

 Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "There is no corruption. In connection with the NEET examination, 24 lakh students appear in the examination. A hearing in the Supreme Court is underway today and this issue is regarding around 1,500 students. Govt is ready to give answers to the Court. This specific issue is being taken into consideration and a committee of academicians has been formed. The Government will present this in front of the Court...NTA conducts 3 major examinations that is NEET, JEE and CUET successfully in the country...We will take action against the people responsible...,"
 

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “We demand a Supreme Court monitored investigation into this entire scandal which has affected around 24 lakh students.”

"The Congress believes that the BJP government's attitude towards the ongoing demand for an inquiry into the NEET exam is irresponsible and insensitive...Ordinary families have been forced to cough up amounts close to Rs 30 lakh due to promises given to them by different coaching and examination centres," he said.

"We believe that no inquiry can be a just, fair and comprehensive if it is headed by the NTA itself. The NTA chairperson should be removed and Prime minister Narendra Modi, who likes giving exam advice to Class 10 students, should not forget the mental anxiety caused to these undergraduates," Gogoi said.

Gogoi credited Rahul Gandhi for taking up the issue of the NEET exam soon after the Lok Sabha results were declared.

"It is a mystery why these results were declared on June 4. It can only point that they knew a storm was brewing and they wanted to avoid any discussion on these NEET results on June 4 when the entire country would be talking about the election results," Gogoi said.

"We are waiting for the Parliament session, we will raise the voice of 24 lakh youth of the country inside Parliament. The anger over the NEET exam in the country will also reverberate inside Parliament," he said.

Protesting students demand NEET re-exam for all aspirants

Advocate Shwetank says "We filed PIL regarding the NEET Exam issue and our main issue was regarding the paper leak and other malpractices by the NTA. The Court has directed that a re-examination will be conducted on 23rd June..."
 

Massive protests have erupted across the country over NEET-UG irregularities.

Protesting students at Jantar Mantar demand CBI Probe in NEET-UG 2024 irregularities

Alakh Pandey, petitioner and CEO of Physics Wallah, stated that the National Testing Agency (NTA), the exam authority, has acknowledged its error.

Pandey said, “Today, NTA accepted in front of the Supreme Court that the grace marks given to the students were wrong and they agree that this created dissatisfaction among the students and they agreed that they will remove the grace marks...Re-examination of those 1,563 students who got grace marks will be done on 23rd June.”

“The question is if NTA has other discrepancies that we are unaware of. So, there is a trust issue with NTA. The issue of paper leak is open and hearing on that will continue,” he added.
 

No evidence of paper leak in NEET-UG. Allegations of corruption in NTA unfounded, testing agency a credible body, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
 

All pleas, including those seeking cancellation of NEET-UG, 2024 on account of allegation of malpractices, will be taken up on July 8, said the Supreme Court.

NTA tells Supreme Court that a committee has been constituted to review the results of over 1,563 candidates who were awarded 'grace marks' to compensate for the loss of time suffered while appearing for NEET-UG. The Committee has taken a decision to cancel the scorecards of 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates who were given grace marks and these students will be given the option to take a re-test, SC informed. Exams will be conducted on June 23 and results will be declared before June 30, NTA tells SC.
 

NTA said that the re-examination for 1563 students will be held on June 23, after which counselling will be conducted. The result may come before June 30.

The Centre informed the Supreme Court that grace marks awarded for incorrect questions in the NEET exam will be cancelled, and affected students will have the option of a re-test.

NTA said that the re-examination for 1563 students will be held on June 23, after which counselling will be conducted. The 1,563 students, who were given grace marks, will be given option to take re-test on June 23, Centre told the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court is now hearing another petition regarding NEET's grace marking. 

NTA said that the grace marking of those 1563 candidates who received it is cancelled. If they wish, they can retain their actual marks without grace marking. NTA referred to the report of the committee formed. Students with grace marking who wish to do so will need to appear for the exam again.

The Supreme Court has issued notice to NTA and sought a reply from the agency in the next two weeks. Matter to be heard next on July 8.

The Supreme Court has refused to put a stay on NEET UG counselling. “Counselling will go on and we will not stop it. If the exam goes then everything goes in totality so nothing to fear,” said the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has begun hearing on three petitions related to the NEET-UG Scam.

Multiple petitions have been filed in high courts and the Supreme Court on diverse allegations – right from questioning paper leak to grace marks and significant increase in high scorers.

NTA reiterated there has been no paper leak and the sanctity of the medical entrance exam hasn't been compromised. The agency on Wednesday released a document with frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the exam. In this also it reiterated, "There is no question of paper leak".

"It is to be noted that none of the reports are backed with evidence that may indicate a paper leak. These cases seem to be related to cheating/impersonation and not to paper leaks," the agency said.

The NTA also addressed allegations of paper leak at a centre at Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, and those in Bihar, and Godhra, and said that all security protocols and SoPs were followed at these centers.

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.

The result of the remaining 40 candidates who were found using unfair means have been withheld, NTA DG Subodh Kumar Singh told.

"A committee was constituted consisting of three eminent experts in field of examination and academics to put forward different types of cases reported such as impersonation, cheating and tampering with OMR sheet," NTA DG Subodh Kumar Singh said.

"On the recommendations of the panel, 12 candidates were debarred from taking the exam for three years, nine candidates debarred for two years and two candidate for one year each. The result of remaining candidates has been withheld. The panel had given recommendations for each case," Singh added.

The total number of cases of usage of unfair means was 63, he said.

The agency is under criticism amid allegations of irregularities and inflation of marks in the crucial medical entrance exam.

The Supreme Court will hear the matter at 10:30 am, with petitioners notably requesting a stay on NEET 2024 counselling.