NEET UG re-exam: Candidates to receive bonus marks over flawed questions

NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to award four bonus marks to all candidates who appeared for the NEET UG re-examination held on June 21, following discrepancies detected in the Physics section of the question paper. Concurrently, the Central Government has clarified that the recent administrative shift at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a temporary arrangement, with a full-time chairperson expected to take charge soon.

The errors in the medical entrance re-examination were identified in two specific questions within the Physics paper. One of the flawed questions pertained to the Vernier calliper, an instrument utilised in engineering and machining. The NTA discovered that none of the four multiple-choice options provided for this question was accurate. Consequently, the exam conducting body decided to exclude the question from the final evaluation. All candidates will receive four bonus marks for this question, regardless of whether they attempted it or left it blank.

A second dispute has arisen over another Physics question concerning electromagnetic waves. Candidates have pointed out that two of the given options could be interpreted as correct answers. However, neither the NTA nor the Union Ministry of Education has responded or announced any corrective measures regarding this second question. The standard NEET UG examination consists of 180 questions in total, distributed equally with 45 questions each across Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology. Candidates receive four marks for every correct answer.

Temporary leadership changes at CBSE

In a separate administrative development within the education sector, the Central Government clarified that Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been given the additional charge of CBSE Chairman on a temporary basis. The government added that a permanent, full-time Chairman will be appointed to the board shortly.

Prashant was initially appointed to head the CBSE on June 2, replacing Rahul Singh, in an apparent damage-control measure following consecutive lapses by the board, including errors in the evaluation of CBSE Class 12 answer sheets. Although Prashant was recently transferred back to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the official order clarified that he would continue to hold the additional charge of the CBSE chairmanship until a full-time official assumes office. Prashant is a 2001-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a postgraduate diploma in Industrial Engineering.