'No mass malpractice...': Centre's affidavit to SC on NEET-UG exam
The Centre has refuted allegations of mass malpractice in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, according to an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. On Monday, the court inquired about the practicality of employing data analytics to detect suspect cases and differentiate between tainted and untainted students. The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras conducted a comprehensive analysis of the results and found "no abnormality" or signs of localized undue benefit, the affidavit said.
'IIT-Madras analysis finds no abnormalities'
According to the affidavit, IIT-Madras conducted an exhaustive technical evaluation of the NEET-UG 2024 examination data. The analysis used parameters such as marks distribution, city-wise and center-wise rank distribution, and candidates' spread over marks range. The study found that the marks distribution follows a "bell-shaped curve typical for large-scale examinations," indicating no abnormality. A two-year analysis (2023 and 2024) was also conducted for the top 1.4 lakh ranks to detect any abnormal indications, it said.
Increase in marks attributed to reduced syllabus
The Centre's affidavit noted an overall increase in marks obtained by students, specifically in the range of 550 to 720. This rise was attributed to a 25% reduction in syllabus and was observed across multiple cities and centers, suggesting a "low likelihood of malpractice." The Centre stated that if any candidate is found to have benefitted from malpractice, their candidature would be cancelled at any stage during the counselling process or even afterwards.
NTA 'followed due process'
In a separate affidavit, the National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that concerning the "alleged question paper incident at Patna," the Bihar Police provided a list of 17 candidates. The NTA, following due process and issuing show cause notices, withheld their results. The performance assessment of these candidates showed minimal impact on the exam. Similarly, in Godhra, Gujarat, a list of 30 candidates provided by local authorities led to their results being withheld after show cause notices were issued.
Centre announces counselling, future exam measures
The NTA refuted claims of a NEET-UG paper leak on Telegram. The Centre announced that NEET-UG 2024 counseling will begin in four rounds from the third week of July. To ensure exam integrity, a shift from pen and paper to computer-based testing is under consideration. Additionally, the NTA reported 153 cases of unfair means, resulting in withholding results for 81 candidates and debarment of 54 candidates for up to three years.
