Physics Wallah CEO Alakh Pandey has approached the Supreme Court (SC) over the contentious awarding of grace marks to approximately 1,500 students in the NEET UG 2024 examination. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), this exam determines admission to undergraduate medical courses across India.
Pandey’s petition follows significant concerns about the fairness and transparency of the grace mark allocation, with his team gathering signatures from around 20,000 students. These signatures suggest that 70 to 80 marks were randomly awarded to the affected students. The SC has acknowledged the petition and issued notices to the Centre and NTA, with a hearing scheduled for June 12.
“The sanctity of the exam has been affected, so we need answers,” stated a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah. The court, however, did not stay the ongoing counselling process and adjourned the case to July 8.
Pandey’s move comes amid a larger controversy involving the NEET UG 2024 results. Allegations of a paper leak and the random distribution of grace marks have led to calls for the results to be annulled. The petition highlights the need for transparency and a detailed explanation of the grace mark formula used by the NTA.
In the face of these allegations, the education ministry has established a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded. This response followed protests by scores of students in Delhi on June 10, demanding a thorough investigation into the irregularities.
Pandey, represented by Advocate J Sai Deepak, has called for an independent high-powered committee to investigate the NEET UG 2024 examination. They argue that only such an inquiry can uncover the full extent of the irregularities and restore the exam’s credibility. Additionally, they suggest re-conducting the exam if the investigation confirms the alleged discrepancies.
The issue gained further traction due to a Bihar police investigation into the alleged paper leak and the unprecedented result of 67 students scoring a perfect 720, with six from the same examination centre.
“The case that was listed today (June 11) was filed before the declaration of results (June 1). The SC’s decision to review the petition, along with the Centre and NTA’s responses, will be pivotal in determining the future course of action and the integrity of the NEET UG 2024 examination process.