Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has declared that over four lakh students who appeared for the NEET-UG exam will lose four marks due to an error in the Physics section. The court decided that only one correct answer from a set of four options will be considered valid, impacting many students, including 44 who had scored a perfect 720/720.
The issue arose when a student pointed out that “Question No. 29” in the Physics section had two correct answers, contrary to the exam’s requirement of a single correct answer. This anomaly was brought to the Supreme Court’s attention, highlighting the potential impact on the final merit list of candidates.
The Supreme Court’s decision followed a report by a three-member expert team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi. The team was tasked with reviewing the question related to “atoms” and their characteristics.
The Supreme Court stated, “Regarding one question of Physics on atomic theory, marks shall not be given for two options, but only for one answer, which is option No. 4.” This ruling came after the IIT Delhi team submitted their findings.
The court also dismissed multiple petitions seeking the cancellation and retest of the NEET UG 2024 exam. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, leading the bench, noted that there was no substantial evidence of a systemic leak of the question paper or other malpractices that would vitiate the exam results.
The petitioner argued that the inconsistency in the Physics question could significantly affect the merit list, with many students having been awarded marks for choosing one of the two correct answers. The Supreme Court, after hearing the submissions, ordered a review by IIT Delhi, which led to the current decision.
The NEET UG 2024 exam, held on May 5, has been mired in controversy, with allegations of question paper leaks and impersonation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Union Education Ministry have faced intense scrutiny and protests from students over these alleged malpractices.
Despite acknowledging incidents of question paper leaks in Hazaribagh and Patna, the Supreme Court maintained that there was no widespread evidence to justify a systemic breach of the exam’s integrity.
The decision has sparked reactions from students and educators alike, with many concerned about the fairness and accuracy of the results. The ruling underscores the importance of maintaining rigorous standards in high-stakes exams like NEET-UG, which determine admissions to medical courses across India.
