Alakh Pandey, the founder of PhysicsWallah, a test prep startup, has called upon the Supreme Court to initiate an inquiry into the alleged discrepancies in this year’s NEET-UG 2024, the all-India medical entrance examination.
Pandey, who has been vocal about the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination, has filed a public interest litigation and requested an independent committee to investigate the matter.
The issue revolves around the National Testing Agency (NTA) granting grace marks to over 1,500 students who took the NEET-UG 2024, as well as allegations of question paper leakage.
In a statement, the edtech platform stated that Pandey and his lawyer believe that only a comprehensive investigation can uncover the problems and irregularities that undermine the credibility of this competitive entrance exam for undergraduate medical courses.
Additionally, Pandey has urged the court to order a re-examination.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pandey expressed his faith in the court and the judicial system, stating, “I have faith in the court and our judiciary system. Our students will receive justice.”
In a separate petition submitted to the Supreme Court regarding the alleged leakage of exam papers and irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, a vacation bench consisting of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah stated on Tuesday that the post-exam counseling process would not be halted, while also issuing a notice to the NTA.
PhysicsWallah, in a statement, stated, “Moreover, acknowledging the imminent commencement of the counseling procedure for the allocation of medical seats based on the disputed NEET rankings, Mr. Pandey and Mr. (J Sai) Deepak appealed to the Hon’ble Supreme Court to put a hold on the counseling proceedings.”
“This stay is crucial in order to prevent further harm to the affected candidates and to uphold the integrity of the admission process until this serious matter is resolved,” the statement added.
The plea against the NTA alleges that the examination conducted on May 5 was marred by malpractices, including paper leaks.
Earlier, ET had reported allegations of discrepancies in the results announced on June 4. The first rank was awarded to 67 candidates, out of which six were from the same center in Haryana. Concerns have also been raised regarding the allocation of grace marks to certain candidates.
However, the NTA has refuted these allegations and stated that there were no irregularities.
According to a report by ET, the NTA has attributed the high marks received by some students to changes in the NCERT textbooks and the awarding of grace marks.
This year, approximately 2.4 million students registered for the exam, with a 97% attendance rate.