The Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the leaked 2024 NEET-UG exam paper and a challenge to a question with ambiguous choices. A petitioner argued that the ambiguity led to 44 students receiving “grace marks” and scoring a perfect score, while she received no marks for the question and lost potential percentile ranking.
The court recognized the petitioner’s argument and questioned the NTA’s decision to award marks for both ambiguous options. It asked a team of experts from IIT Delhi to determine the correct answer.
The NTA defended its decision, citing pleas from economically disadvantaged students who studied from older textbooks. However, the court deemed this explanation insufficient, emphasizing that awarding marks for both options was unacceptable.
The court expressed concern about the impact of the NTA’s actions on over 400,000 students who received extra marks. The court further emphasized that a large-scale leak would be necessary to warrant a complete re-test.
The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG exam arose after a record number of students achieved perfect scores. An investigation revealed a stark contrast in scores after a re-test and raised concerns about the awarding of grace marks. While the government insists there is no evidence of widespread malpractice, the CBI is investigating the case and has made several arrests.
