A much-anticipated re-test for 1563 NEET candidates concluded with surprisingly minimal impact on overall rankings. While some students saw shifts of 20-35 places, a significant number maintained their positions within a narrow band.
This retest stemmed from controversies surrounding grace marks awarded to these candidates. Fearing inflated ranks due to the grace marks, the National Testing Agency (NTA) offered a retest option. However, only 813 of the 1563 students opted to retake the exam.
The revised rankings show limited changes, even with grace marks removed. Notably, only 5 of the original six toppers who scored a perfect 720 with grace marks participated in the re-test. While none of them managed to repeat their feat, most scored within the 670-680 range.
The impact on individual scores varied. For instance, a student named Vishaka initially scored 719 with grace marks and saw her score drop to 620 after the re-test. This reflects the significant influence grace marks had on some students' scores.
However, critics argue that the minimal rank shifts highlight a more significant problem – alleged leaks of the NEET paper itself. Dr Vivek Pandey, an RTI activist, believes the focus should be on tackling corruption and potential leaks, which he claims led to five-fold inflation in ranks this year.
Keshav Aggarwal, from the Coaching Federation of India, provided data analysis to support this view. He compared previous and revised ranks for specific scores, demonstrating a shift of around 34 places.
Interestingly, participation in the retest varied across regions. While no candidates from Chandigarh reappeared, many students from Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Meghalaya's Tura area opted to retake the exam.
This re-test episode underscores the complexities surrounding entrance exams like NEET. While efforts to address concerns are commendable, the underlying issues of potential leaks and corruption remain a critical area to tackle.