Kerala LoP VD Satheesan writes to Centre seeking probe on "suspicious" 2024 NEET results

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 8 (ANI): VD Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly, wrote a letter to the Union government, seeking an investigation into the "suspicious" results of the recently published NEET exam for 2024.
"Many students from Kerala have personally expressed their concerns about the NEET exam results. The NEET results for 2024 have sparked severe concerns about the authenticity of the NEET tests, with many students casting doubt on the procedure," Satheesan said in his letter.
He said that it was extremely alarming to see that 67 students received full marks, with eight of them coming from the same centre.
"It should be noted that this figure is just two in 2023 and four in 2022. Furthermore, students received 719 and 718 marks out of 720, which is not theoretically achievable given the NEET exam format," he said.
"As you are aware, the NEET valuation system assigns +4 marks for each correct answer and -1 for each incorrect attempt. If a student attempts all questions and gets only one wrong, he can receive a maximum of 715 marks; if one question is skipped, the maximum is 716 marks. The cut-off mark has also risen drastically to 660 from 610 last year. The fact that the results were announced 10 days before the proposed date casts considerable doubt on the validity of the valuation procedure," he added.
However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) denied any irregularities and attributed record results to several factors, including an easier exam, a surge in registrations, a question with two correct answers, and grace marks due to a 'loss of examination time'.
The Kerala LoP said that the "questionable" results have added credence to the earlier-surfaced allegations regarding the NEET question paper leak.
"I regret to inform you that any malpractice in NEET results will undermine the hopes and dreams of thousands of qualified students. Above all, ineligible candidates would degrade the quality of our healthcare system in the long run, which is deemed to be a great injustice to the generations to come," he said.
"Hence, I request your good self to order a comprehensive investigation into the suspicious results of the recently published NEET results for 2024," he concluded the letter.
A total of 20.38 lakh students registered for the exam, out of which 11.45 lakh candidates qualified. The result was announced on Tuesday and 67 students have achieved an All India Rank (AIR) 1.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctors Network has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the NEET test.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Modi government over the test. (ANI)