NTA Announces Revised NEET-UG Results and Updated Rank List

The number of candidates achieving the top rank in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam has decreased from 67 to 61, as per the revised results announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday. This revision followed a retest for 1,563 candidates who had previously received grace marks due to a delayed start at six centres on May 5.

Among those who scored a perfect 720 initially, six had received grace marks. Five of these candidates opted for the retest, while one chose to retain their original scores without the grace marks. None of the five candidates managed to score 720 in the retest. The NTA did not disclose the new scores for these candidates.

Retest Attendance and Results

Forty-eight per cent of the 1,563 candidates scheduled for the NEET-UG retest on June 23 did not appear. According to NTA officials, out of the total candidates, 813 attended the retest while others chose to keep their original scores without grace marks. The retest was conducted at seven centres following a Supreme Court directive.

Chandigarh centre, which had only two candidates, saw zero attendance. In contrast, Jhajjar centre recorded 58 per cent attendance with 287 out of 494 candidates appearing for the test. Allegations had surfaced that grace marks inflated scores, leading to six candidates from a single Haryana centre achieving a perfect score of 720 along with 61 others.

Initial Exam and Results Announcement

The NEET-UG exam was originally held on May 5 across 4,750 centres with approximately 24 lakh candidates participating. Initially expected on June 14, the results were announced earlier on June 4 due to swift completion of answer sheet evaluations. Notably, an unprecedented number of 67 students scored a perfect 720, including six from a Faridabad centre in Haryana.

This raised suspicions of irregularities and the influence of grace marks. Consequently, the court ordered the cancellation of grace marks and offered an option for a retest. A senior NTA official reported that no candidates appeared in Chandigarh, while attendance numbers included 291 from Chhattisgarh, one from Gujarat, 287 from Haryana, and 234 from Meghalaya.

Controversy and Allegations

The NTA has faced controversy over alleged irregularities in the exam, including claims of paper leaks. Various groups have demanded a re-test due to these allegations. However, the Centre has maintained that these irregularities are localised incidents and should not jeopardise the careers of lakhs of candidates who cleared the exam legitimately.

The NEET-UG exam is conducted by NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across India. The revised results reflect efforts to address concerns about fairness and transparency in this crucial examination process.