NEET-UG 2024: Physics Wallah CEO Challenges NTA’s Grace Marks Decision in Supreme Court

NEET-UG 2024: Physics Wallah CEO Challenges NTA’s Grace Marks Decision in Supreme Court

In a significant development, Alakh Pandey, CEO of the educational technology company Physics Wallah, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to grant grace marks to several candidates who appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The writ petition was filed on June 9 and was presented by advocate J Sai Deepak before the Supreme Court’s vacation bench.

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The Controversy Over Grace Marks

The NEET-UG 2024 examination, a crucial entrance test for undergraduate medical courses, has been mired in controversy due to the alleged arbitrary awarding of grace marks by the NTA. Pandey’s petition labels the NTA’s decision as “arbitrary,” arguing that grace marks were awarded randomly to approximately 1,500 students, with some reportedly receiving as many as 70 to 80 additional marks.

This move has sparked widespread outrage among other candidates and stakeholders, who argue that such a practice undermines the integrity of the examination process. Pandey claims to have collected a memorandum from around 20,000 students to support his case.

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Legal Proceedings and Court Actions

The Supreme Court, led by Justice Vikram Nath, advised advocate Sai Deepak to mention the case to the court registry for further listing through the Chief Justice of India. The court has also issued notices in response to other petitions seeking the annulment of the NEET-UG 2024 examination due to alleged paper leaks. These petitions argue that the sanctity of the examination has been compromised and have requested a response from the NTA by July 8.

Despite the allegations and ongoing legal proceedings, the Supreme Court declined to halt the NEET-UG 2024 counseling process. Notably, the petitions challenging the examination process were filed before the results were declared on June 4.

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Arguments Against Grace Marks

One of the central arguments against the NTA’s decision is that grace marks should only extend to questions left unanswered due to time loss, based on a “normalization formula.” Critics argue that since each question in the exam carries equal weight, the time distribution for answering should also be considered equal.

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Moreover, another petition filed on June 9 demands the withdrawal of NEET-UG 2024 results and calls for fresh exams. Petitioners have labeled the grace marks distribution as “statistically improbable,” highlighting the unusually high scores of 718 and 719 out of 720 achieved by several candidates. Allegations have been made that these grace marks provide “backdoor entry” for some students, particularly noting that 67 students from special centers scored a perfect 720.

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Formation of Review Committee

In response to the growing concerns, the NTA and the Union Ministry of Education announced the formation of a four-member committee on June 8. This committee is tasked with reviewing the consequences of awarding grace marks to over 1,500 candidates, aiming to address the grievances raised and ensure fairness in the examination process.

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