To change the headline or otherwise amid the din over the shock verdict of the general elections, the National Testing Authority (NTA) of the education ministry announced the NEET-UG medical entrance exam results the same day and walked into a minefield. The first aspect that caught the eye was 67 students getting the perfect score of 720 on 720, an all-time record. Granular analysis showed that some got 718 and 719, which was not normally possible. For, it’s a pen-and-paper exam where the marking system is +4 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer and none for unanswered questions.
To address the subsequent uproar and demands for a retest, the NTA revealed that the high scores were due to the revision in an answer key in the physics exam and on account of compensatory marks for loss of time at a few centres. As many as 44 of the 67 got 720/720 following revision in the physics answer key. Six others became toppers due to compensatory marks for loss of time. The NTA went on to add that the benchmark for extra scores came from a Supreme Court formula in a previous case. In all, there were over 1,500 beneficiaries in six centres. Since the matter continued to snowball and landed in various courts, the education ministry set up a four-member high-powered committee to review the grace marks and submit its recommendations within a week.
The NEET-UG is considered one of the world’s biggest competitive exams. Over 23 lakh students appeared for the test this year. Its score is used to fill over one lakh seats at government and private institutions for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, 28,088 Bachelor of Dental Surgery seats, 52,720 AYUSH and 525 seats for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry courses across the country.
While the probe panel bought the education ministry a bit of breathing space, its report also ought to address the question of accountability. The full report must be made public for transparency and restoring people’s confidence in the testing system. It should also not affect the admission process and add to stress. Students have already hit the streets demanding a retest in cities like Varanasi. The unrest could spread. The anomaly is a bad advertisement for NEET that is already in the crosshairs of political parties. The ministry must set its house in order. Now.