SHILLONG: Ten National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants from Meghalaya have taken their grievances to the Supreme Court of India, demanding a retest amid allegations of discrepancies during the recent examinations.
The hearing is expected to take place today, a Shillong-based daily reported.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had previously raised concerns with the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding reported irregularities at NEET examination centres in Jowai and Nongpoh.
Despite the CM’s correspondence, the NTA allegedly did not respond to the state government’s inquiries.
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Over 400 students who appeared for the NEET exams at these centres approached the state authorities, citing issues such as the distribution of different sets of question papers.
In response, the Meghalaya government decided to facilitate the filing of a petition on behalf of the affected students before the Supreme Court.
Advocate General Amit Kumar was tasked by the government to assist in preparing the legal petition.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has criticised the state government for its perceived delay in addressing the demand for a retest.
KSU’s education secretary, Pynkmenlang Sanmiet, expressed disappointment over the lack of clarity from the government regarding the fate of Meghalaya students affected by the NEET discrepancies.
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The students’ body expressed concern that despite over 1,563 candidates across India being scheduled for a re-examination for NEET 2024, there has been no official communication from the state government regarding their students’ eligibility for the same opportunity.
Sanmiet further highlighted that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the NEET examinations has placed the future of Meghalaya students in jeopardy, urging swift action and clarity from the authorities to resolve the matter effectively.
Meanwhile, the NTA faces nationwide criticism for alleged irregularities in this year’s NEET exams.
Following the June 4 announcement of NEET-UG results, controversy erupted over 67 candidates scoring a perfect 720/720 and others achieving 718 or 719—marks some deem unachievable under normal circumstances.
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The NTA attributed these scores to an easier exam, additional marks given due to time lost from NTA staff and invigilator errors, and a faulty question.
Subsequently, the NTA withdrew grace marks initially awarded to 1,563 candidates and scheduled a retest for them.
This move has, however, left aspirants in Meghalaya disheartened as they had been anticipating a response from the NTA regarding their request for a re-examination.
