Delhi High Court Demands NTA Response on Grace Marks Petition in NEET (UG) 2024

Delhi High Court Demands NTA Response on Grace Marks Petition in NEET (UG) 2024

The Delhi High Court has called upon the National Testing Agency (NTA) to respond to a petition challenging the awarding of grace marks in the NEET (UG) 2024 examination, which was conducted on May 5th. The petition, filed by 17-year-old Shreyanshi Thakur through her mother, has raised significant concerns regarding the fairness and transparency of the marking process.

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Petition Details and Court Proceedings

Presided over by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, the case focuses on an alleged discrepancy in Question Number 29 of Test Booklet Code R5. Thakur contends that the question contained two correct answers contrary to the given instructions, adversely impacting her score.

The petition argues that the NTA’s decision to award marks to all candidates who selected either of the correct answers unfairly benefits those who guessed or did not follow instructions. This practice, according to the petitioner, discriminates against candidates who adhered to the instructions and chose not to answer the question due to its ambiguity.

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Arguments Presented in the Petition

The petition claims, “The Defendant’s published answers grant scores to all students who selected either of the alleged correct answers, thereby benefiting those who guessed or marked an answer they believed correct. This act is discriminatory towards candidates who followed instructions and did not answer Question Number 29, which had two correct answers.”

Further, the plea highlights the severe impact on candidates’ rankings, with differences potentially affecting ranks by approximately 20,000 or more. Thakur asserts that such discrepancies significantly hamper the prospects of a better future for affected candidates.

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Relief Sought by the Petitioner

Thakur seeks a directive to award the same number of marks to all candidates who did not attempt the ambiguous question. Additionally, she requests the removal of specific parts of the NTA’s information bulletin that allegedly justify the arbitrary treatment of questions with multiple correct answers.

The petition also calls for the NTA to revise and republish the NEET (UG) 2024 results, ranks, and percentages based on the corrected marks.

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Key Points to Note

• Issue: Alleged awarding of grace marks for a question with two correct answers in NEET (UG) 2024.
• Petitioner: 17-year-old Shreyanshi Thakur.
• Court: Delhi High Court, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma presiding.
• Next Hearing: Scheduled for Wednesday.
• Impact: Potential revision of NEET (UG) 2024 results, affecting candidates’ ranks and future prospects.

The resolution of this case will be closely monitored by students, educators, and legal experts, as it addresses fundamental issues of fairness and transparency in the highly competitive landscape of entrance examinations in India.