Editor's Pick | NTA cancels scorecards of 1,563 NEET candidates

The Supreme Court recorded the Union government’s submission on June 13 that the score cards of 1,563 candidates granted compensatory marks in the undergraduate medical entrance examination, known as NEET-UG 2024, will stand cancelled. These candidates can sit for a retest, likely to be held on June 23. The results will be declared on June 30, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the exam said care will be taken not to disturb the counselling session scheduled on July 6. The Union government informed a Vacation Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that these candidates will now be informed of their actual scores without the compensatory or grace marks. If they decide not to sit for the re-test, their original scores without grace marks will be treated as their final scores. The court was hearing petitions challenging the award of grace marks to 1,563 candidates using a “normalisation formula”, on the grounds that they were not allowed the full period of 3.2 hours to write the exam at their respective centres. The compensatory marks were awarded to these candidates on the recommendation of a committee constituted by the NTA. When the decision to grant grace marks came under a cloud, and faced by rising public furore against the measure, the NTA formed a committee, which held deliberations between June 10 and June 12. Appearing for the Union government, advocate Kanu Agrawal submitted that this committee was of the opinion that the grant of compensatory marks to 1,563 students for loss of time had led to a skewed situation. Grace marks were limited only to unattempted questions. Consequently, Mr. Agrawal informed the court that a re-examination would be held for the 1,563 candidates. “The results of the affected candidates who do not wish to appear for the re-examination will be declared on their actual marks without grace marks obtained by them in the examination held on May 5, 2024,” the court recorded in its order. For those among the 1,563 candidates who opt to take the re-examination, their actual marks in the re-test will be taken as their result, and their previous marks from the May 5 test will be discarded, the court noted. The Bench disposed of the pleas on the issue of grace marks. As for the allegations of question paper leaks and other concerns, the court directed the NTA to file its response in two weeks. Earlier, while hearing another petition filed by 10 candidates, the court had scheduled the next hearing on July 8. Arguably one of the biggest entrance examinations conducted annually, with over 23 lakh students taking the test, it is no surprise that NEET has had a chequered past, an editorial in The Hindu pointed out. “The NTA must, with the assistance of States, ensure that technical glitches and cheating scams, including premature release of question papers, and using proxies, do not recur. Additionally, it should pay attention to demands that all NEET admissions come under single window counselling only,” it said. Condemning its incompetence, T.N. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the only solution for the issue is to restore the role of the State governments in deciding the method of selection for MBBS courses. The Hindu’s Editorials Carry it forward: On the BJP government in Odisha Singular focus: On the new Union Ministers and portfolios The Hindu’s Daily Quiz The government of which state has banned the release of the Hindi film Hamare Baraah? Uttar Pradesh Karnataka Punjab Tamil Nadu To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 14 June 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 14 June 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( NTA cancels scorecards of 1,563 NEET candidates The Supreme Court recorded the Union government’s submission on June 13 that the score cards of 1,563 candidates granted compensatory marks in the undergraduate medical entrance examination, known as NEET-UG 2024, will stand[cancelled](. These candidates can sit for a retest, likely to be held on June 23. The results will be declared on June 30, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the exam said care will be taken not to disturb the counselling session scheduled on July 6. The Union government informed a Vacation Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that these candidates will now be informed of their actual scores without the compensatory or grace marks. If they decide not to sit for the re-test, their original scores without grace marks will be treated as their final scores. The court was hearing petitions challenging the award of grace marks to 1,563 candidates using a “normalisation formula”, on the grounds that they were not allowed the full period of 3.2 hours to write the exam at their respective centres. The compensatory marks were awarded to these candidates on the recommendation of a committee constituted by the NTA. When the decision to grant grace marks came under a cloud, and faced by rising public furore against the measure, the NTA formed a committee, which held deliberations between June 10 and June 12. Appearing for the Union government, advocate Kanu Agrawal submitted that this committee was of the opinion that the grant of compensatory marks to 1,563 students for loss of time had led to a skewed situation. Grace marks were limited only to unattempted questions. Consequently, Mr. Agrawal informed the court that a re-examination would be held for the 1,563 candidates. “The results of the affected candidates who do not wish to appear for the re-examination will be declared on their actual marks without grace marks obtained by them in the examination held on May 5, 2024,” the court recorded in its order. For those among the 1,563 candidates who opt to take the re-examination, their actual marks in the re-test will be taken as their result, and their previous marks from the May 5 test will be discarded, the court noted. The Bench disposed of the pleas on the issue of grace marks. As for the allegations of question paper leaks and other concerns, the court directed the NTA to file its response in two weeks. Earlier, while hearing another petition filed by 10 candidates, the court had scheduled the next hearing on July 8. Arguably one of the biggest entrance examinations conducted annually, with over 23 lakh students taking the test, it is no surprise that NEET has had a chequered past, an editorial in The Hindu pointed out. “The NTA must, with the assistance of States, ensure that technical glitches and cheating scams, including premature release of question papers, and using proxies, do not recur. Additionally, it should [pay attention to demands]( all NEET admissions come under single window counselling only,” it said. Condemning its incompetence, T.N. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the only [solution for the issue]( is to restore the role of the State governments in deciding the method of selection for MBBS courses. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Carry it forward: On the BJP government in Odisha]( [Arrow][Singular focus: On the new Union Ministers and portfolios]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz The government of which state has banned the release of the Hindi film Hamare Baraah? - Uttar Pradesh - Karnataka - Punjab - Tamil Nadu To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here.]( [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[PM Modi leaves for Italy for G7 Summit] PM Modi leaves for Italy for G7 Summit]( [[Terrorists planning suicide attacks on forces in Jammu, says alert from J&K Police] Terrorists planning suicide attacks on forces in Jammu, says alert from J&K Police]( [[Arrest warrant issued against Yediyurappa in POCSO case (Updated for print)] Arrest warrant issued against Yediyurappa in POCSO case (Updated for print)]( [[India strongly rejects references to Jammu and Kashmir in China-Pakistan joint statement] India strongly rejects references to Jammu and Kashmir in China-Pakistan joint statement]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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