The re-test scores of 813 out of the 1,563 candidates who were given grace marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) were out yesterday, July 1, and while there will be no marginal shift in the rank list, much remains to be analysed.
"Out of 25 lakh students, if there is a change of rank for 800 students, it is not going to matter much," says analyst Jayaprakash Gandhi.
Kapil Gupta, Founder of NEETPrep, agrees that no significant impact on the rank list has been noted. "This is because students were not too many. There is a difference of about 15-20 ranks here and there," he says.
Getting into nitty-gritty
Jayaprakash Gandhi quotes Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, by saying that, indeed, from a professional exam, NEET has turned into a commercial exam.
To build trust, Gandhi proposes a novel solution. Since the NTA is the custodian of data like how much the candidate scored in Board exams; if this is their first, second or third attempt at NEET; if they took coaching or not; and such, they should put the data out in the open so that public can understand for themselves what went on behind the marks.
He also proposes that the findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry including the high-level committee set up to look into exam conducting process should be sent to each and every student who appeared for NEET.
One pertinent question Gandhi raises is — why is NEET conducted approximately 45 days after Board exams while Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) - Main is almost conducted immediately?
"Are you giving time to the coaching centres to earn money?" Gandhi vehemently questions. He also questions why NEET is conducted in pen and paper mode while all other exams are mostly conducted in computer-based mode or CBT (computer-based technology)?
Re-NEET or no NEET?
Kapil Gupta shares that NTA releasing the results of the re-NEET was not expected.
"What would have probably happened is everyone would have waited for the Supreme Court hearing on July 8 because the question still remains — Was there a mass paper leak? Does that warrant a re-NEET? No clarity has been given on that," he says.
Students and parents continue to wonder if the government is planning to conduct re-NEET or not, he shared. "If they have announced the results, if perhaps means they haven't. We will only find out on July 8. Everything else is a speculation," he added.
So, what is Gupta's message for the students? "Keep studying, because we feel re-NEET might happen."