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NEET 2024 controversy: Is India’s Medical Future at Stake?

Aditi Dixit

Aditi Dixit

Content Specialist

Reading time: 3 Minutes
Updated on: 14. June 2024
NEET 2024 Controversy, Student holding pen

☝️ At a glance

  • NEET 2024 controversy highlights concern over fairness and transparency in India's medical entrance exam.
  • Unusual perfect scores and impossible marks raise doubts about exam integrity.
  • Early result release and allegations of paper leaks add to suspicions.
  • Political leaders demand investigations while NTA defends exam process.
  • Supreme Court declines intervention as student protests for transparency continue.

📖 Table of Contents

What is the NEET 2024 Controversy?

The NEET 2024 controversy has caused major concern in India’s medical education system, questioning the fairness and transparency of the important medical entrance exam. What started as a celebration of academic success quickly turned into a storm of doubt and dissatisfaction, highlighting the complexities of one of the country’s most important exams.

Perfect Scores Raise Eyebrows

The controversy centres on the unusual number of perfect scores achieved by 67 students in the NEET 2024 exam. Although academic excellence is praiseworthy, the high number of perfect scores caused suspicion about the exam’s integrity. Both students and parents began to question the fairness of the scoring system and whether some had unfair advantages.

Impossible Scores: 718 and 719 Marks

Making things worse were the unlikely scores of 718 and 719 marks achieved by two candidates, which went against the NEET marking scheme. According to the rules, such scores were considered mathematically impossible, adding more doubts about the exam’s credibility. This scoring discrepancy raised important questions about the accuracy and consistency of the evaluation process.

Early Result Release

Adding to the controversy was the early release of NEET 2024 results, which came out ten days ahead of schedule. The unexpected announcement coincided with the day of the Lok Sabha poll results, leading to speculation about the timing and intentions behind the early release. This sudden revelation confused many and increased concerns about the transparency of the exam administration.

Allegations of Paper Leaks and Irregularities

Amid the chaos, allegations of paper leaks and irregularities emerged, casting doubt on the entire exam process. Reports surfaced of question papers with pre-marked answers and issues with language mediums, raising serious concerns about the security and integrity of the exam centers. These allegations were central to the NEET 2024 controversy, shaking trust in the examination system.

Political Reactions and Demands for Investigation

As the issue grew, politicians from different parties spoke up and asked for proper investigations into the problems. Rahul Gandhi and others criticized how the government handled things, saying exams should be fair and transparent. They wanted quick actions to fix things and make people trust the system again.

NTA’s Response

Facing increasing pressure, the National Testing Agency (NTA) spoke out to defend the fairness of the NEET 2024 exam. They explained that the unusual scores happened because of a method they used to adjust for lost time during the test. But despite their explanations, people still felt worried and suspicious about what happened. Many questions remained unanswered, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

Latest Updates

The Supreme Court has declined to halt the counselling process for selected NEET candidates, with the case scheduled for further hearing on July 8. Despite pleas from petitioners, counselling will proceed as planned.

Meanwhile, student groups have staged protests demanding transparent investigations into alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) have called for independent inquiries into the conduct of the exam by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Conclusion

The NEET 2024 issue keeps going as the Supreme Court decides not to get involved in the counselling process. Despite ongoing protests, worries about the exam’s fairness haven’t been fixed. What happens in future court hearings will decide what happens to many students who want to become doctors. This shows how important it is for India’s medical education system to be open and accountable.

Follow futureMBBS for the latest updates about NEET controversy.

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