KTR demands probe into NEET irregularities

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday demanded the Centre to order an inquiry by a high level expert committee into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Reacting to reports of malpractices in the examination meant for candidates who intend to pursue undergraduate medical, dental and AYUSH courses in government and private institutions in the country, he wanted the government to respond immediately on the issue which was related to the future of lakhs of students. He pointed out that that as many as 67 students secured the first rank securing with 720 out of 720 marks in this year’s NEET exam, which was quite unusual and had never happened before. Besides this, many students were found to have secured high scores ranging up to 718 and 719 in the examination this time. NEET has its unique ranking system, while each correct answer is worth 4 marks, each incorrect answer will fetch minus one mark. Securing such high score of 718 to 719 marks in this pattern of ranking was not possible, he asserted.

When asked about this, the organisers have claimed to have given grace marks. Some students were



apparently given up to 100 grace marks at once. But they did not clarify what was the pattern adopted for the grant of grace marks. He wanted to know from the organisers why the NEET results were preponed and released in a hurry on the day of the election results. It raises many doubts, he said, adding that the newly formed NDA government would be facing many challenges on this count.

He wondered why no student from Telangana could figure in the top 5 ranks in NEET in the last 5 years. “We believe that the reason for this is definitely the irregularities in the NEET exam,” he said. He also demanded the organisers of the NEET to disclose the procedure followed for allotment of grace marks. BRS wants this approach adopted in NEET to benefit every student in a standardized way. But the grace marks were added in such a way that that it benefited only a group of 1500 students. That is not the right approach, he stated while demanding an inquiry into the whole affair with a high level expert committee.

Those who had committed irregularities must be punished severely. The malpractices and irregularities in the NEET exam should be exposed and justice should be meted out to the students, he demanded.