“Have Hopes From Supreme Court,” Says Physics Wallah CEO
11.06.2024: Alakh Pandey, CEO of Physics Wallah, has expressed his faith in the Supreme Court amid the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). He emphasized the importance of integrity in the judicial review and the need for the Supreme Court to assure students of a fair judgment.
Controversy and Student Protests In an interview with ANI, Alakh Pandey highlighted the widespread protests by students following the release of the NEET-UG 2024 results. He criticized the NTA for its lack of transparency regarding the alleged paper leak and the awarding of grace marks. “We have hopes from the Supreme Court. Even the students have hope from the Supreme Court. The SC should give assurance to the students that we will give the right judgment with integrity,” Pandey stated.
Concerns Over Grace Marks and Transparency Pandey questioned the NTA’s silence on the issue and pointed out discrepancies in the grading process. He noted that the NTA admitted to awarding grace marks to 1,563 students and giving full marks to six students from four different states. Pandey argued that this lack of transparency has demotivated many students, causing them to reconsider their aspirations of becoming doctors.
Impact on Student Morale “The students have given up and are contemplating if they should become doctors or not,” Pandey said. He highlighted that in previous years, students securing scores around 610 to 630 could get into government medical colleges, but now, even those scoring 650 are uncertain of their admission chances. This uncertainty, he claims, is due to either the paper leak or the excessive awarding of grace marks.
Issues with NEET Exam Pattern Pandey also criticized the current NEET exam pattern, questioning why it was set up in such a way that even perfect scorers might not secure a seat in top colleges like AIIMS Delhi. “66 students scored 720 marks. In AIIMS, the number of general seats is 46, which means these 66 students won’t get a seat in AIIMS Delhi. How will you decide whom to give the seat to?” he asked.
NTA’s Response Following the controversy, the NTA has established a committee to review the grace marks awarded to candidates. The Ministry of Education is also involved in this review, addressing concerns that the inflation of marks has resulted in 67 candidates securing the top rank, including six from a single exam center in Haryana.
With over 20.38 lakh students registered for the NEET-UG exam and 11.45 lakh qualifying, the integrity of the results is of paramount importance. Alakh Pandey and many others are looking to the Supreme Court to ensure that justice is served and that the future of aspiring medical students is safeguarded.
