NEET-UG row: Over 4 lakh students set to lose at least 4 marks for physics question with two ‘correct’ answers

NEET-UG rankings are set to undergo a drastic revamp as more than 4 lakh students lose up to 5 marks. The Supreme Court verdict came after an IIT Delhi expert panel concluded that the ‘ambiguous’ question had only one right answer. Many of the candidates had been awarded four marks by the NTA for giving one of the two ‘correct’ answers — now deemed incorrect by the apex court.

“In view of the experts' determination, we have no manner of doubt with regard to the correct option... we accept the IIT Delhi report and accordingly the NTA shall re-tally the NEET UG result on the basis that option 4 represents the only correct answer to the question,” the Supreme Court said today.

Meanwhile Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan indicated that the NTA will announce the final results for the NEET-UG within two days. He explained on Tuesday evening that the exam's merit list will be revised according to the observations made by the Supreme Court.

The matter was raised before the Supreme Court on Monday with a petitioner noting that they had skipped the question because of its ‘ambiguous’ nature. The counsel said that the provisional answer key had initially given the correct answer (option 4 as per the latest NCERT texts). However it was later changed and the NTA decided to allocate marks for the other answer as well (option 2 as per older textbooks).

Some lawyers also said there were three sets of aspirants, and one set got minus five for the correct answer, the second secured four marks for another correct answer, and the third group comprised those who skipped it for either want of knowledge or due to the fear of getting negative marks.

“You could not have treated both as correct answers. You have to choose either option. Both can't co-exist. What is worrying us is that, over 4 lakh students have got the benefit of what you have done,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had remarked.

The apex court had asked IIT-Delhi to set up a team of three experts that would go into a particular question of Physics asked in the NEET-UG 2024 examination and submit a report on the correct answer by Tuesday noon. 

The final verdict from the Supreme Court came on Tuesday afternoon after the IIT Delhi team said that only one of the options — stating that ‘atoms are electrically neutral as they contain equal number of positive and negative charges’ — was correct. 

(With inputs from agencies)