Alakh Pandey, the CEO and founder of PhysicsWallah, has taken the National Testing Agency (NTA) to the Supreme Court over the alleged arbitrary awarding of grace marks to about 1,500 students.

Pandey's petition claims that the NTA needed to explain the formula used for these grace marks transparently. He mentioned that around 20,000 students have signed a petition alleging that 70 to 80 marks were randomly given to some students.

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Image Source: Goal Institute

The Supreme Court is set to hear this case on June 12, 2024. In a related matter, on June 11, SC issued a notice to the Centre and the NTA in response to another petition aiming to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 results due to suspicions of a paper leak. Even though the court declined to halt the ongoing counselling process for MBBS, BDS, and other courses, the further hearing has been postponed to July 8, 2024.

Alakh Pandey's petition calls for a thorough investigation into the NEET UG 2024 exam by an independent high-powered committee to uncover any irregularities and procedural lapses. The petition suggests that if discrepancies are confirmed, the exam should be re-conducted to maintain its credibility.

Bihar Police Probe Sparks PhysicsWallah’s NEET Concerns

The controversy escalated after the Bihar police investigated an alleged NEET UG 2024 exam paper leak. The investigation revealed that six students from the same examination center were among the 67 who scored a perfect 720, raising suspicions of irregularities.

Pandey, represented by Advocate J Sai Deepak, argues that their petition is unique as it explicitly challenges the arbitrary awarding of grace marks. They highlighted the significant distress and uncertainty faced by the students, urging the court to recognize the urgency of the matter.

The education ministry and NTA have formed a four-member committee on June 8. This committee reviews the results of over 1,500 candidates who received grace marks to compensate for lost time during the exam.

On June 10, students in Delhi staged protests, demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities. Avijit Ghosh, the Vice-President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, emphasized the importance of an independent and transparent investigation to uphold the integrity of the NEET exam system.

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