The results for the NEET-UG 2024 have been retracted for 1,563 candidates who received grace marks. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Supreme Court that these candidates will have the opportunity to retake the exam.

Supreme Court Acknowledges NEET-UG 2024 Retest on June 23 Amidst Grace Marks Controversy

On June 13, the Supreme Court documented the Union government’s declaration that the scorecards of 1,563 candidates, who had been awarded compensatory marks in the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam, would be nullified. These candidates will have the opportunity to take a retest, tentatively scheduled for June 23. The Union government conveyed to a Vacation Bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, that the affected candidates will be informed of their actual scores excluding the grace marks. Should they choose not to retake the exam, their original scores, minus the grace marks, will be deemed final.

The court’s proceedings were prompted by petitions disputing the allocation of grace marks to the 1,563 candidates, who were reportedly not given the full 3.2-hour duration to complete the exam at their centers. These compensatory marks had been awarded based on the recommendations of a committee established by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which oversees the NEET exam.

Following widespread controversy over the grace marks decision, and in response to public outcry, the NTA formed a subsequent committee that convened from June 10 to June 12. Representing the Union, advocate Kanu Agrawal informed the court that this committee concluded that awarding compensatory marks for lost time had created an uneven playing field. The grace marks were restricted to unanswered questions only.

Mr. Agrawal further notified the court that a re-examination would be organized for the 1,563 candidates. The court’s order noted that the results for those who opt out of the re-exam would be based on their actual scores from the initial test on May 5, 2024, excluding the grace marks. Candidates who decide to retake the exam will have their new scores considered, and the previous scores will be disregarded.

Senior advocate Naresh Kaushik, representing the NTA, informed the court that the date for the retest would be announced on June 13. The re-examination is expected to take place on June 23, with results to be published by June 30. The NTA assured that the counseling session set for July 6 would proceed without disruption.

Regarding the allegations of question paper leaks and other issues, the Bench closed the pleas related to the grace marks but directed the NTA to submit its response within two weeks. The court has scheduled the next hearing on these matters for July 8, in response to a petition filed by 10 candidates.

One petition, brought forward by Alakh Pandey, CEO of the online education platform Physics Wallah and represented by advocate J. Sai Deepak, argued that the NTA’s decision to grant grace marks was arbitrary. The court will continue to address these concerns in subsequent sessions.