NEET exam row: Physics Wallah CEO moves SC against arbitrary grace marks to 1,500 students

Alakh Pandey, CEO at Physics Wallah

Physics Wallah chief executive Alakh Pandey has moved the Supreme Court (SC) against random awarding of grace marks to at least 1,500 students in the NEET UG 2024 examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The matter is expected to be heard on June 12.

The Noida-based edtech firm's CEO has accused the agency of inefficiency in explaining the formula behind giving grace marks to the students.  Pandey said his team has collected signatures from about 20,000 students, which clearly shows that approximately 70 to 80 marks have been awarded randomly to at least 1,500 students.

The SC on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre and NTA over another petition seeking to cancel the results of the NEET-UG 2024, a competitive entrance test for undergraduate medical courses, amid allegations that the paper was leaked.

"The sanctity of the exam has been affected, so we need answers,” a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said on June 11. The court, however, refused to stay the counselling and adjourned the case to July 8.

“The case that was listed today (June 11) was filed before the declaration of results (June 1). The petition by us raises questions around awarding of grace marks, the procedure followed, disclosure of all details with full transparency, etc. My lawyers are trying to get it listed tomorrow, and we will raise our concerns on the ongoing actions of NTA before the Hon’ble Court,” Pandey told Moneycontrol.

“Our petition is slightly different. We are challenging the arbitrary award of grace marks. The court has indicated that our matter will also be taken up with the other matters, but the court is clear that it will not stay the counselling process at this stage," Advocate J Sai Deepak, who is representing Physics Wallah, said.

The duo implored the apex court to recognise the urgency of the matter, highlighting the significant distress and uncertainty faced by the students.

Pandey has petitioned the court to order a thorough investigation into the NEET UG 2024 examination by an independent high-powered committee.

They argued that only a detailed inquiry can uncover the complexities and irregularities that have damaged the exam's credibility. They also requested that the court consider re-conducting the NEET exam if the investigation confirms the alleged discrepancies and procedural lapses.

The case 

The petition, filed on June 1, stems from a Bihar police investigation into the alleged paper leak for the test, which sees lakhs of students fight it out over a few thousand seats.

When the test result was declared on June 4, it added to the trouble. As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, with six from the same examination centre, raising suspicions of irregularities.

On June 10, scores of students protested in Delhi, demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities. NTA is under fire for grace marks and alleged mishandling of the examination. The education ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates. Students have alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.

Avijit Ghosh, vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, called for an independent and transparent investigation to safeguard the integrity of the entrance exam system. Several parties have raised concerns if NEET, which has in the past faced resistance in states like Tamil Nadu, is compromised.