THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the irregularities surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2024 are mainly focussed on grace marks and alleged paper leaks in some centres, the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) contentious decision to award marks for candidates who selected a ‘wrong’ choice in the Physics section of the test has not been adequately addressed, parents have alleged.
The marks awarded ‘unfairly’ have affected the overall scores and ranks and are also poised to alter the medical admission prospects of many students, they said. “In a highly competitive exam like NEET, awarding four marks for undeserving candidates will have a ripple effect and a huge bearing on the final ranks,” said a parent of a NEET candidate.
The Physics section of NEET UG 2024 courted controversy due to a question which required the evaluation of two statements regarding atoms. The first statement, concerning the electrical neutrality of atoms, with equal numbers of protons and electrons, is universally accepted as correct.
However, the second statement, which asserts that atoms are stable and emit characteristic spectra, has become a point of contention. Discrepancies have been pointed out between old and new textbooks of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), with the former affirming the statement’s correctness while the latter indicating its inaccuracy.
After the answer key was challenged by a section of students, the NTA accepted both options as correct “The decision is concerning, as it permits an ambiguous question in a national-level exam. It is evident that the amendment in the new textbook was due to the fact that the older textbook contained erroneous information,” a parent said.
“The fact that 44 out of the 67 toppers in NEET selected the logically incorrect option and still received marks indicates that the majority may have relied on the outdated textbook. NTA should reconsider its answer key to align with scientifically accurate information,” the parents demanded.