New Delhi: The Education Ministry has established a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to over 1,500 candidates in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday.
Addressing the media, NTA Director General Subodh Singh said, "The panel headed by a former UPSC chairman will submit its recommendations within a week and the results of these candidates might be revised. The awarding of grace marks has not impacted the qualifying criteria of the exam and the review of results of the affected candidates will not impact the admission process."
Several aspirants of the medical entrance exam NEET have alleged inflation of marks which led to a record 67 candidates bagging the top rank, including six from the same exam centre.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, denied any irregularities and said the changes made in the NCERT textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres were some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.
"The entire examination process was transparent, and the integrity of the exam was not compromised," Singh added. Concerns had been raised regarding potential paper leaks; however, he clarified that exams were reconducted at those centres where such incidents were suspected. Additionally, he mentioned that the department reanalysed and subsequently denied the occurrence of any paper leaks.
(With PTI Inputs)