Neet Row: 'Grace Marks' Unusual method raised concerns during NEET-UG exam
Neet Row: 'Grace Marks' Unusual method raised concerns during NEET-UG exam - PC : MRP Graphics
 
Neet Row: Sources in the Education Ministry said grace marks have never been the norm for "loss of exam time". To compensate for time constraints, the format recommended increasing time, but never allowing grace marks which were given subjectively.

The Education Ministery stated that "The NTA failed to assure candidates. There has been no provision to give grace marks. This is the first time grace marks have been given to candidates. As per the rules, the candidates should have been given extra time if there was some time loss. And then the grace marking was done through the odd method."

Education ministry sources said the government is looking to implement every critical reform in the NTA before the next cycle of exams begins in 2025. They said the NTA will also see whether NEET can be held multiple times or just once a year, apart from chalking out best practices.

The Centre replaced the NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh with retired Indian Administration Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Singh Kharola, a move that sources said sought to save the NTA's credibility.

The NEET Retest was conducted for 1,563 students but only 52% of them appeared for the same at seven centers who got grace marks due to loss of time. While others opted to go with their original scores minus grace marks.

Neet Row: State-wise analysis 

In Chandigarh, just two candidates had registered for the retest, and neither turned up. The Jhajjar center, under the scanner, as several high rankers had emerged from there, registered 58% attendance, with 287 of the 494 candidates taking the retest.
 
In Chhattisgarh, 176 candidates took the re-exam at the Swami Atmanand Utkrist Hindi Medium Government Girls High School in Dantewada, and 115 at DAV Ispat Senior Secondary Public School, Balod. The number of eligible candidates in each center was 417 and 185, respectively.   
 
In Haryana, 178 eligible candidates appeared for the NEET Re-exam at DAV Police Public School in Jhajjar and 109 appeared in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Jhajjar. The total number of eligible candidates was 312 in DAV and 182 in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Jhajjar.
 
Of the 464 eligible candidates, only 234 appeared at Don Bosco College Tura in Meghalaya. Gujrat witnessed 100% attendance with one candidate being eligible and appearing in the exam.