The National Testing Agency (NTA) released the latest iteration of the NEET-UG 2024 results on Friday. The re-revised results reveal that 17 candidates now share the top rank with a perfect score of 720, down from 61 in the previous revision. This adjustment comes after the Supreme Court’s intervention to address issues related to a disputed Physics question.
The Supreme Court’s directive led to a major overhaul of the NEET-UG results, which had already undergone two revisions since the exam’s initial results were announced on June 4. The re-revised results were made public following the court’s dismissal of petitions demanding a retest due to allegations of paper leaks and other malpractices.
The controversial Physics question, which had two potential answers, led to the formation of a three-member expert panel appointed by the Supreme Court. The panel’s recommendation to invalidate marks given for this question resulted in a reduction of scores for approximately 420,000 students, including 44 who had initially scored a perfect 720.
The re-revised results saw a decrease in the number of candidates qualifying and a slight drop in the cut-off scores. The total number of qualified candidates now stands at 13,15,853, a decrease of 415 from the previous count of 13,16,268. The qualifying cutoffs for various categories have been adjusted, with the new range for unreserved and economically weaker section (EWS) students set at 720-162, down from 164.
Among the 17 top scorers, the distribution is as follows: Delhi (2), Uttar Pradesh (2), Bihar (1), Rajasthan (4), Punjab (1), West Bengal (1), Maharashtra (3), Tamil Nadu (1), Kerala (1), and Chandigarh (1). The percentage of female toppers has increased from 16% to 23%, reflecting a greater female representation among the top ranks. The top 100 candidates now include 77 students scoring 715 marks and six with 716 marks.
The exam, held on May 5, faced scrutiny due to unprecedented results, with 67 students initially achieving a perfect score. Allegations of irregularities, including question paper leaks and fraud, led to widespread protests and demands for a re-test. Despite these controversies, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no systemic breach of exam integrity warranting a retest, and instead mandated adjustments based on the Physics question issue.
Uttar Pradesh remains the state with the highest number of qualifiers, at over 1.65 lakh, followed by Maharashtra (1.42 lakh) and Rajasthan (1.21 lakh). States such as Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal reported an increase in the number of qualified candidates, even as the overall number saw a slight decline.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is continuing its probe into alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, with six FIRs lodged so far. The NTA, responsible for conducting the NEET-UG, continues to face scrutiny and criticism over the handling of the exam and its results.
