Centre to SC: No mass malpractice in NEET-UG exam.
- Wide Participation: NEET-UG 2024 saw a massive participation, with 23.33 lakh students appearing for the exam. The large number of candidates reflects the high demand for medical education in India.
- Exam Centres: The exam was conducted at 4,750 centres, ensuring accessibility for students across the country. The extensive network of centres is crucial to accommodate the large number of candidates.
- Cities Covered: The exam was held in 571 cities, demonstrating the broad geographic coverage of the NEET-UG. This wide distribution helps in minimizing travel for students and makes the exam more accessible.
- International Centres: NEET-UG 2024 included centres in 14 cities overseas, indicating the exam’s global reach. This provision benefits Indian students residing abroad who wish to pursue medical education in India.
- Logistical Challenges: Conducting an exam of this scale involves significant logistical planning. Ensuring that all centres are adequately equipped and staffed is a major undertaking.
- Security Measures: To maintain the integrity of the exam, robust security measures are necessary. This includes preventing malpractice and ensuring a fair testing environment for all candidates.
- Technological Integration: The use of technology in coordinating the exam across multiple centres and cities is critical. This includes secure handling of question papers and efficient communication between centres.
- Support Systems: Providing adequate support to candidates, such as helplines and information dissemination, is essential. This helps address any issues or queries candidates might have.
- Future Implications: The successful conduct of NEET-UG 2024 sets a precedent for future exams. It also highlights areas for potential improvement in terms of logistics, security, and candidate support.
The NEET-UG 2024’s successful execution across such a vast number of centres and cities, including international locations, underscores the commitment to providing a fair and accessible examination process for aspiring medical students.
New Delhi: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that there was no indication of “mass malpractice” or localized benefits leading to abnormal scores in NEET-UG 2024.
- Data Analytics by IIT Madras: The Centre explained that IIT Madras conducted a data analysis of the NEET-UG 2024 results, finding that the marks distribution followed a bell-shaped curve typical of large-scale exams, indicating no abnormalities.
- Affidavit Findings: An additional affidavit submitted by the Centre emphasized that there was no evidence of mass malpractice or any localized group of candidates benefiting from the exam.
- NTA’s Analysis: The National Testing Agency (NTA) also filed an affidavit, stating their analysis of marks distribution at various levels (national, state, city, and centre) showed normal distribution with no extraneous influences.
- Confidentiality Measures: The NTA detailed the rigorous system in place for confidential printing, transportation, and distribution of question papers to ensure the exam’s integrity.
- Supreme Court Hearing: A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is set to hear multiple pleas related to NEET-UG 2024, including allegations of irregularities and calls for a retest.
- Reduction in Syllabus: The Centre attributed the overall increase in students’ marks, particularly in the range of 550 to 720, to a 25% reduction in the syllabus.
- Counselling Process: For the 2024-25 academic year, counselling will begin in the third week of July and will be conducted in four rounds.
- High-Level Committee: The Centre has established a high-level committee to recommend measures for making the examination process more robust against malpractice.
- Participation Statistics: The NEET-UG 2024 was conducted on May 5, with 23.33 lakh students appearing at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 cities overseas.