The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the decision to give grace marks to 1,563 NEET-UG candidates has been cancelled and they would be given an option to take a re-test on June 23. A vacation bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was told by the counsel for the National Testing Agency (NTA) that if those among the 1,563 candidates, who do not wish to appear for re-test, will be given their scorecards without grace marks. The results of the re-test will be declared on June 30 and counselling for admission to MBBS, BDS and other courses will begin from July 6. Meanwhile the apex court said, counselling process for other candidates will not be stayed. Taking note of the NTA counsel’s submissions, the vacation bench said, all pleas, including the petition filed by the CEO of an EdTech firm PhysicsWallah over the issue of awarding grace marks, will be taken up for hearing on July 8. Some of the petitioners have sought cancellation of this year’s NEET-UG rankings, alleging question paper leaks and other malpractices. The NEET-UG exam was conducted by NTA on May 5 at 4,750 centres across India and nearly 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were announced on June 4 in which as many as 67 students scored a perfect 720 marks (100 per cent), unprecedented in NTA’s history. OPINION | NEET FIASCO: BUNGLING OR SCAM?
The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the decision to give grace marks to 1,563 NEET-UG candidates has been cancelled and they would be given an option to take a re-test on June 23. A vacation bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was told by the counsel for the National Testing Agency (NTA) that if those among the 1,563 candidates, who do not wish to appear for re-test, will be given their scorecards without grace marks. The results of the re-test will be declared on June 30 and counselling for admission to MBBS, BDS and other courses will begin from July 6. Meanwhile the apex court said, counselling process for other candidates will not be stayed. Taking note of the NTA counsel’s submissions, the vacation bench said, all pleas, including the petition filed by the CEO of an EdTech firm PhysicsWallah over the issue of awarding grace marks, will be taken up for hearing on July 8. Some of the petitioners have sought cancellation of this year’s NEET-UG rankings, alleging question paper leaks and other malpractices. The NEET-UG exam was conducted by NTA on May 5 at 4,750 centres across India and nearly 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were announced on June 4 in which as many as 67 students scored a perfect 720 marks (100 per cent), unprecedented in NTA’s history. 
