Several NEET aspirants have raised concerns regarding the alleged inflation of marks in the recent NEET entrance exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a record-breaking 67 candidates achieving the top rank, with six coming from the same exam center in Haryana. Despite these allegations, the NTA has refuted any irregularities, attributing the increase in marks to changes in the NCERT textbooks and the provision of grace marks to compensate for lost time during the exam.

The NTA released the NEET results on Wednesday, have sparked controversy over the unprecedented number of students sharing the top rank. The Congress party has voiced concerns, alleging errors in the results and questioning how six students from the same center managed to score a perfect 720 out of 720. They have criticized the government, citing previous instances of paper leaks and asserting that the future of countless young individuals is being jeopardized.

Addressing the reasons behind the marked increase in scores, the NTA explained that they received complaints regarding the time lost during the examination process. In response, they implemented a normalization formula, as mandated by the Supreme Court, to compensate candidates for the time lost. This compensation took the form of grace marks, resulting in some students achieving scores of 718 or 719.

Regarding the allegations of unclear implementation of grace marks, a senior NTA official clarified that the exam question paper was based on a new NCERT textbook, causing discrepancies for students with older editions. To rectify this issue, the NTA granted five additional marks to students who had marked one of two options, leading to an increase in scores for 44 students from 715 to 720.

In response to concerns over time lost during the exam, a committee was formed to investigate the matter. After thorough examination, the committee confirmed the loss of time and awarded grace marks accordingly. Therefore, the high scores obtained by students at certain centers can be attributed to the provision of grace marks.