NEW DELHI: With a number of the qualifying candidates presenting NEET-UG OMR sheets on different social media platforms and claiming they deserved more marks than what they were awarded, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday reiterated that they were fabricated or AI-generated ones.
Presenting such forged documents or amplifying an unfounded grievance in the public domain, constitutes a cognisable offence under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and separately attracts liability under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, the NTA said in a public notice.
The agency appealed to candidates and their guardians not to create, possess, submit or circulate such fraudulent answer sheets.
“These offences carry substantial terms of imprisonment and fines, and further carry the consequence of cancellation of candidature and debarment from future examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency, in accordance with the said Act,” it said.
Process to be followed for genuine errors
Any candidate who believes that the OMR answer sheet held against his or her Roll Number contains a genuine error may submit a representation to the Agency at the helpdesk address published on the Agency’s website, quoting the Application Number, the Roll Number, the specific discrepancy alleged, and the basis of the allegation, the NTA clarified.
Candidates have been advised not to attach any image or document with their representation unless it was issued by the agency or downloaded from its official portal.
The agency warned that any representation supported by a fabricated document would invite legal action, regardless of whether the candidate claims to have been misled by a third party.
“In such cases, the candidate is expected to disclose the identity of the third party and to co-operate in the investigation,” the national body said.
The NTA also took to X and countered the allegations by candidates one by one who had gone public with their claims. It also exposed online that the OMR sheets were digitally altered and the marks awarded to them by the NTA, which is available on its portal, hold good.