As of today, only 52% of the 1,563 students who were initially awarded grace marks in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) have appeared for the retest, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA). This means that 813 students took the retest, while 750 students opted to retain their actual scores without the grace marks.
State-wise, the numbers are as follows:
- Chandigarh: 0 out of 2 students appeared for the retest
- Chhattisgarh: 219 out of 602 students appeared for the retest
- Gujarat: 1 out of 1 student appeared for the retest
- Haryana: 287 out of 494 students appeared for the retest
- Meghalaya: 234 out of 464 students appeared for the retest
The retest was conducted across seven centers in these five states and Union territory.
This development comes after the Centre scrapped the grace marks awarded to these students, citing allegations of paper leaks and chaos surrounding India’s premier medical entrance examination. The government has faced widespread protests and criticism from opposition parties, with demands for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations.
In response, a senior official in the Union education ministry has stated that incidents of malpractices are “localised” or “isolated” and should not jeopardize the careers of lakhs of candidates who cleared the exam rightfully.
Meanwhile, the Centre has taken steps to address the controversy, including the removal of NTA director general Subodh Kumar Singh and the appointment of IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola to the role. A seven-member committee has also been formed to review the structure, processes, and working of the NTA, with its first meeting scheduled for Monday.