NEET-UG 2024 row: Over 11,000 candidates scored zero or negative marks

NEET-UG: Over 2,250 candidates scored zero marks, while more than 9,400 candidates received negative marks

Over 11,000 NEET-UG candidates have obtained zero or negative marks in this year’s medical entrance examination, as revealed by the centre-wise results published by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The lowest score recorded was -180 at a centre in Bihar.

An analysis of the city- and centre-wise results released on Saturday by the NTA indicates that over 2,250 candidates scored zero marks, while more than 9,400 candidates received negative marks. Several candidates from a centre under scrutiny in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh have scored below zero.

Although there are multiple candidates from some centres who scored zero marks, there are no significant clusters, as the number of such candidates from each centre remains relatively low.

Officials said that zero marks do not necessarily imply that answer sheets were left blank or no questions were answered.

In the NEET-UG exam, each correct answer gets four points, while each incorrect response results in a one-point deduction. Unanswered questions neither gain nor lose points.

An analysis of the data reveals that candidates who were suspected to have benefitted from the paper leak and other irregularities did not perform as well, whereas certain centres showed a high concentration of top-performing students.

In Rajasthan’s Sikar centres alone, over 2,000 NEET-UG candidates achieved scores above 650, and more than 4,000 candidates scored over 600 marks.

The result data for over 2.3 million candidates from 4,750 centres was not published in a consolidated format but was instead made available through a dropdown menu for each centre. This data release followed the Supreme Court’s directive, which is addressing multiple petitions concerning alleged irregularities, as numerous candidates await a final decision on the exam’s legitimacy.

NEET-UG row: SC to hear pleas today

The Supreme Court will hear pleas on Monday related to the alleged irregularities during the exam conducted on May 5 across 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 international locations.

The apex court had instructed that the results be disclosed while concealing the identities of the candidates. This measure was intended to determine if candidates from centres with purported issues achieved higher scores compared to those from other centres.

The top court will continue to hear arguments on July 22 regarding petitions requesting the cancellation of the exam, a re-test, and a judicially supervised investigation into the claims of misconduct in the prestigious examination.

[With agency inputs]