NEET Controversy: Aspiring Doctors Protest For 'Justice', Question NTA's Reasons For Grace Marks | Details

As the controversy over the NEET UG 2024 results raged on, with students, parents and political parties demanding a thorough probe into the matter, medical aspirants have taken to the streets to voice their opinion.

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency on Saturday said that the Ministry of Education has set up a panel to review the results of over 1,500 students who were awarded grace marks.

NEET 2024 STUDENTS PROTEST - VOICE OF MEDICAL ASPIRANTS

Several medical aspirants have been demanding a probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 results, while also seeking a re-examination.

One such student voiced his concern to an X user, who posts ground realities, shared a video of student who was protesting with others at the Banaras Hindu University's gate in Varanasi.

The student, Hrithik Raj, said he scored 695 marks in the NEET 2024 exams with an All India rank of 3,473.

He said all the Varanasi students have come together to protest against the NEET exams and NTA over the "fraud" in the results, adding that massive "rank inflation" has been witnessed in these results.

Students have scored 718 and 719 marks as well, Raj said, noting NTA's clarification of giving grace marks as compensation for some students, in some states. However, he said, that such cases of grace marks being awarded to students are coming in from many other states as well, but without any basis or valid reason.

He raised questions as to where did the "loss of time" factor come from, asking that does NTA not have its officials and its own watches at the examination centres.

Concerns are also being raised over NTA's "ignorance" over paper leak allegations in some states. Hrithik Raj claimed that students from Patna, Bihar's Nalanda university have admitted that paper was leaked. Additionally, Patna police has also been taking actions, filing FIR against those found to be involved the matter, Raj added.

Students slammed NTA's straight denial of any paper leaks in its statement to the public as well as the Supreme Court. The test-conducting agency's remark of students scoring higher marks, given the exam's challenging nature, is also being questioned.

Why is no one doubting a set of students getting All India Rank 1, that too from the same examination centre. "Is it not suspicious?" he asked.

The students are waiting for "justice to be delivered". We urge the government, concerned authorities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against "NTA's fraud" as soon as possible, the medical aspirant said.

Students protesting against the alleged irregularities in the results have been seeking re-NEET. Students were heard screaming, asking NTA for "answers".

'YOU'RE LETTING INJUSTICE WIN'

Another medical aspirant took to X and shared her ordeal over the NEET UG results. She said that as per her calculation in reference to NTA's answer key to the medical entrance exam, she was sure of getting a score good enough for her admission in a nice government college.

"Now, I'm not even sure if I can get into a private one," she wrote.

She tagged the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that the party's "silence", it is teaching the nation's youth that the amount of hard work does not matter. "You’re letting injustice win. You’re losing your youth," she wrote.

Like her fellow medical aspirants, she also urged PM-designate Narendra Modi to speak up for the youth of India and take necessary action.

RE-NEET 2024 - 'WHAT WILL THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?'

Medical aspirants in several parts of the country are staging protests against the NEET 2024 results, asking questions over grace marks and the loss of time reasoning given by NTA.

At one such protests, a student who scored 637/720, said she was expecting to get into a good government college. However, the rank inflation has brought up such a situation that I might not even get a MBBS college.

"If there was a loss of time, provide more time. Where did the logic of giving grace marks come from?" she asked.

The medical aspirant noted that some were even given 100-150 marks as grace, adding that students who would have scored 580 in reality would now get a higher rank with an additional 100 marks. Saying that the higher cut off because of the grace marks would cause a loss of seat for a deserving candidate.

"What will happen if undeserving candidates get a seat? How will they practice and become a doctor? What will the future look like?" she asking, adding that if deserving candidates lose out, what inspiration will it leave for the coming generations, for those preparing for next year's examination.

Another student with a score of 700 in the 2024 NEET exams said that the protests are against the irregularities on the NTA's part, that too from the very beginning.

First with the paper leak, then timing issues and then suddenly announcing results on June 4 at the same time as Lok Sabha election results, he said.

Students alleged that the timing of the results being announced could be keep away the media and the people's attention away, in order to cover up the said "irregularities".

Those scoring 600 have a scorecard of over 700 marks, why, because of the grace marks, students noted, saying that it is unfair for those who have studied extremely hard and sacrificed for their exams.

Collectively students are demanding thorough probe, proper re-publishing of scores, review of exam results and re-examination as well.

KANPUR NEET PROTESTS

Aspiring doctors and medical students took to the streets of Kanpur to stage demonstrations against the NEET UG 2024 results.

Demanding for a stoppage on "paper leaks, corruption" and some even calling NTA a "thief". Slogans of "We Want Justice" were chanted by massive crowds of students walking on the streets in solidarity.

Students across the nation are seeking re-NEET and justice for the hardwork they put in for their exams.

NTA NEET 2024 SCORECARD - 8 STUDENTS, AIR 1, NO SURNAMES

Images of the marksheet showing the names of eight students who scored a perfect 720 mark, achieving All India Rank 1, has been doing the rounds on the internet.

This is because, the serial number of all the 8 students match, indicating that they are from the examination centre. People are also raising suspicions over none of them having a surname on the results sheet.

Netizens have been slamming NTA over its behaviour towards the NEET results, alleged that it has shown its worth now. "More explanations" have been sought from the National Testing Agency.

UNITED DOCTORS FRONT ASSOCIATION EXTENDS SUPPORT

The United Doctors Front Association (UDFA India) has expressed its solidarity with the protesting medical aspirants, calling on the Central government "to intervene on a priority basis to ensure a fair and transparent process".

"The future of thousands of aspiring doctors is at stake," said Dr Arun Kumar, the national general secretary of UDFA India.

ABVP JNU STANDS 'FIRMLY' WITH STUDENTS

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) unit of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) posted its stance on the matter. It said that "ABVP stands firmly with the student community and against these paper leaks and irregularities in competitive exams."

"ABVP calls for urgent redressal of all the complaints concerning the NEET results of 2024," the student body unit said.

IMA JUNIOR DOCTORS NETWORKS SEEKS CBI PROBE

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Junior Doctors Network has demanded the intervention of the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), demanded the agency's probe into the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam.

The junior doctors network also requested a re-examination "to ensure a fair and transparent evaluation process for all the students".