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Sunday, July 13, 2025 2:51 PM

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UGC NET 2025 June Session: NTA Releases Provisional Answer Keys, Objection Window Open Till July 8

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has published the provisional answer keys for the UGC NET 2025 June session. Candidates who appeared for the exam can now access their answer scripts and responses by visiting the official website: ugcnet.nta.ac.in. To log in, applicants must enter their application number, date of birth, and Captcha code. The UGC NET June session exams were conducted from June 25 to 29 for aspirants aiming for eligibility in Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professorship, or PhD admissions across Indian institutions. Steps to Check and Challenge UGC NET 2025 Provisional Answer Key: Go to the official NTA UGC NET website – ugcnet.nta.ac.in Log in using your application number, date of birth, and Captcha code Download the NTA’s provisional answer key and your recorded responses Cross-verify your responses using the provided question ID To raise objections, select the disputed answer, upload supporting documents in PDF format Pay the challenge fee and download the receipt for reference Candidates wishing to contest any answer must pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹200 per question. The objection window is open from July 6 to July 8 until 5 PM, and the fee payment must also be completed by the same deadline via Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. Objections submitted without payment or through other means will not be entertained. A panel of subject experts will review all challenges. If any correction is found valid, the answer key will be updated accordingly, and the final results will reflect those changes. However, individual candidates will not receive notifications regarding the acceptance or rejection of their objections. The decision of the expert committee will be considered final. Stay tuned to the official NTA portal for the final answer key and result updates. Source: Indian Express

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NEET UG 2025 Results: No Perfect Scores as Rajasthan Student Tops with 686 Marks

In a significant shift from last year’s controversial NEET-UG results, the 2025 edition of the medical entrance exam saw no candidate achieving a perfect score of 720. This marks a stark contrast to 2024, when 67 students initially scored full marks—17 of them following a revised result—amid concerns over grace marks and incorrect NCERT references. This year, Mahesh Kumar from Rajasthan emerged as the sole national topper with a score of 686 and a percentile of 99.9999547. He was closely followed by Utkarsh Awadhiya from Madhya Pradesh, who secured the second position with a percentile of 99.9999095, according to the results declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday. The exam, conducted in May under heightened security measures due to last year’s controversies, saw a significant drop in the top score for the first time in several years. In fact, 686 is the lowest top score since 2019, the year NTA began administering NEET-UG. Previously, full scores were recorded in 2020, 2021, and 2023, while the highest scores in 2019 and 2022 were 701 and 715 respectively. This year’s results also brought a notable decline in cut-off marks. For the general category, the qualifying range dropped to 686–144, compared to 720–162 in 2024 and 720–137 in 2023. A total of 73 candidates scored between 651 and 686 marks. Interestingly, the NTA did not disclose individual scores of the top 50 candidates, a detail that had been publicly shared in previous years. Out of the 22.09 lakh candidates who appeared for NEET-UG 2025—lower than last year’s 23.33 lakh—12.37 lakh qualified for admission to undergraduate medical courses. Female candidates continued to dominate both in participation and qualification, making up over half of all test-takers and 58% of those who passed. State-wise, Uttar Pradesh led in the number of qualified candidates with 1.70 lakh students, followed by Maharashtra (1.25 lakh), Rajasthan (1.19 lakh), Karnataka (83,582), and Bihar (80,954). Among the top 20 rankers, Rajasthan and Delhi each contributed four candidates. In response to the 2024 exam controversy, which included a retest and a Supreme Court-mandated revision of results, the 2025 exam was held under strict vigilance. Oversight was carried out at multiple levels, including central, state, and district authorities, in line with recommendations from a government-appointed committee focused on strengthening the integrity of public examinations. The absence of full scores this year and the tighter scrutiny of the exam process may reflect a more standardized and credible testing environment going forward. Source: Indian Express

NEET UG 2025 Results: No Perfect Scores as Rajasthan Student Tops with 686 Marks Read More »

UGC-NET Exam Cancelled Amid Integrity Concerns, CBI Launches Probe

The University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) June 2024 examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), has been cancelled due to concerns over its integrity. The decision was taken after the University Grants Commission (UGC) received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, indicating that the examination’s integrity may have been compromised. The UGC-NET examination was conducted on June 18 in two shifts across different cities in India, with over 9 lakh candidates appearing for the test. However, following the allegations of paper leaks, the Ministry of Education decided to cancel the exam to ensure transparency and maintain the sanctity of the examination process. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been handed over the case for a thorough investigation. The CBI has registered a case against unknown accused persons for compromising the integrity of the UGC-NET exam. The CBI probe aims to identify and punish those involved in the alleged malpractices. The cancellation of the UGC-NET exam has sparked controversy, with the Opposition demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and NTA officials. The Education Minister has announced the formation of a high-level committee to enhance the functioning of the NTA and ensure error-free examinations. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent leaks and malpractices in recruitment examinations, has come into effect from June 21. However, the UGC-NET examination will not be covered by this new law. The UGC-NET examination is crucial for determining the eligibility of Indian nationals for Junior Research Fellowships and Assistant Professor positions in Indian universities and colleges. The cancellation of the exam has left many students in limbo, awaiting fresh examination dates to be announced.

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NEET UG Result Row: Bihar Police Find Evidence Suggesting Paper Leak

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) in Bihar, investigating allegations of a leaked National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper, has found evidence suggesting that some students knew the questions before the May 5 exam, according to media reports on Sunday, June 16. What Did the Police Find? Media reports, citing EOU officials, stated that 13 individuals, including four students, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the alleged leak. Some of those arrested are also accused of receiving the question papers ahead of the test. Additional Director General of Police, EOU, N H Khan, informed the Indian Express that they had queried the National Testing Agency (NTA), which organizes NEET, and the investigation is “very much suggestive of a paper leak.” According to the Times of India, EOU Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Manavjeet Singh Dhillon mentioned that a list of the 13 people was recovered from a “safe house” on the outskirts of Patna. The police believe that approximately 30 medical aspirants were summoned by what they termed the “exam mafia” to receive questions and answers before the exam. Dhillon claimed that four of the arrested candidates confessed during interrogation that the questions they received at the “safe house” on May 4 were identical to those on the exam, according to TOI. Education Minister Denies Allegations of Paper Leak Amid media reports and nationwide protests by students, Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated on Friday, June 14, that issues were observed in six of the over 4,700 centers where the exam was conducted. He asserted that NEET was otherwise conducted satisfactorily across the country. Pradhan denied allegations of corruption within the NTA and the paper leak but added that if proven, “no one will be spared.” He assured that every aspect is being investigated, and those responsible for any lapses will be held accountable. Protests and Controversy The NEET exam, held on May 5 across 4,750 centers in India, saw participation from approximately 2.4 million candidates. The results, initially expected on June 14, were declared 10 days early as the evaluation was completed ahead of schedule. The announcement of results sparked outrage and protests due to alleged irregularities, as 67 students scored a perfect 720. Since then, students across India have been demanding a re-examination.  

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NEET UG Row: Retest for 1,563 Candidates an Option; Exam Sanctity Affected, Says Top Court

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A retest for all 1,563 candidates who were awarded “grace marks” for “loss of time” in this year’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) is among the options being considered by the four-member committee formed last week by the National Testing Agency (NTA). This follows an uproar over the extraordinarily large number of candidates scoring well in the entrance test, with 67 securing the perfect score of 720/720. The Indian Express has learned that the committee, headed by a former UPSC chairman, in its first few meetings, has discussed offering all 1,563 candidates the option to either sit for a retest or accept the “non-normalised score,” which reflects the scores they actually achieved before the addition of grace marks. The exact composition of the committee hasn’t been disclosed by the government, but it is expected to submit its recommendation to the NTA in the next two days, sources said. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition seeking the cancellation of the exams amid allegations of leakage of the NEET-UG paper, said the exam “sanctity has been affected” and sought answers from the NTA and the Centre. However, the bench, presided over by Justice Vikram Nath, declined to stay the counselling and tagged the petition with another to be heard on July 8 by a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. “Let the counselling start. We are not stopping the counselling,” Justice Nath said when Senior Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, appearing for the petitioners, urged the bench to stay the counselling. Announced on June 4, the NEET-UG results drew immediate attention after 67 candidates got the perfect score of 720/720, and some candidates got 718 or 719 — marks others claimed were not possible under the exam scheme. The NTA attributed this to a combination of factors, including a relatively easier paper, the decision to award additional marks to students who lost time during the exam because of errors and delays on the part of NTA staff and invigilators, and an incorrect question. Of these three reasons, as many as 1,563 candidates, across six test centres, witnessed an artificial bump in their results due to the additional marks awarded to them in proportion to the time they lost because of mistakes made by invigilation staff. Of the six centres, two were in Chhattisgarh (one each in Balod and Dantewada), one each in Meghalaya, Surat, Haryana’s Bahadurgarh, and Chandigarh. According to video footage reviewed by the NTA, it was determined that candidates across the six centres had lost up to 40 minutes and were compensated appropriately with grace marks based on a normalisation formula from a 2018 Supreme Court judgement regarding a similar incident in CLAT. The NEET-UG paper duration is 200 minutes. The announcement of NEET-UG results was followed by an uproar, forcing the NTA and the Ministry of Education to constitute a committee to at least review the results of the 1,563 candidates. “Although this is not the final decision, many members are leaning towards the option of asking these candidates to either accept their raw score (pre-normalisation) score or sit for a retest. The majority of the 1,500 candidates scored less than 300 out of 720 marks even after normalisation. It was felt they may not come forward for the retest even if offered as an option. For the remaining numbers, it will not be too difficult to conduct the exam again,” said a source who did not wish to be identified. The Directorate General of Health Services hasn’t announced the counselling schedule yet. If the NTA finally decides to conduct a retest, it will have to consult DGHS to ensure that the results are announced before the counselling process begins. Around 24 lakh candidates took the entrance examination held on May 5 in 571 cities, 14 of which were outside India. According to the latest available data, there are a total of 1,08,940 MBBS seats in more than 700 medical colleges across the country. In the Supreme Court, a fresh writ petition, filed by a batch of students, raised doubts about the sanctity of the examination in the light of allegations of the paper leak and urged the court to cancel it and direct the NTA to hold it again. In their plea, the students said, “After having stumbled upon news of the NEET exam paper leak, they have been shaken… the Petitioners are under tremendous stress and anxiety … their family members nurtured the dream of Petitioners becoming a medical practitioner one day.” Hearing a similar plea on May 17, a CJI-led bench had declined to stay the declaration of the NEET exam results and posted the matter for hearing on July 8.

NEET UG Row: Retest for 1,563 Candidates an Option; Exam Sanctity Affected, Says Top Court Read More »

Maharashtra Govt Alleges Injustice to State Students in NEET Exam Results; Seeks Cancellation

The Maharashtra government has demanded the immediate cancellation of last month’s NEET exam results, citing injustice to students from the state. Several aspirants of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, previously alleged that mark inflation led to a record 67 candidates achieving the top rank, including six from the same exam center in Haryana. The results were declared on June 4. The National Testing Agency (NTA) denied any irregularities, attributing the high scores to changes in NCERT textbooks and grace marks for time lost at exam centers. Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif stated, “The NEET exams were probably conducted after taking money. The results are such that no student of Maharashtra will get admission for the MBBS course in government or private colleges in the state.” He mentioned that many parents have approached him regarding the issue and that the state might approach the court for resolution. NEET-UG is the qualifying entrance exam for various medical and dental courses, with over 80,000 MBBS seats available in more than 540 medical colleges across India. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for an investigation into the alleged irregularities, stating, “First the NEET exam paper was leaked and now the students allege that there has been a scam in its results as well.” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also criticized NEET, claiming it undermines social justice and federalism. He highlighted issues like question paper leaks, clustering of toppers at specific centers, and mathematically improbable grace marks as major concerns.  

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NEET-UG 2024 Results Controversy: Normalization Process and Cut-Off Scores Under Scrutiny

The NEET-UG 2024 results, announced on Tuesday, have stirred significant controversy and concern among students and parents. Objections have been raised regarding the normalization process, the unprecedented number of perfect scores, and the overall admission chances to government medical colleges. Controversial Results Students and parents have expressed shock over the announcement that 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720 out of 720. Notably, six of these students have consecutive seat numbers and are from Haryana, suggesting they may have taken the exam at the same center. This anomaly has led to demands for an investigation into potential discrepancies in the results. Demands for Investigation Parents have written to the National Testing Agency (NTA) seeking a thorough investigation into these alleged discrepancies before the commencement of counseling. Additionally, scorecards of students scoring 718 and 719 have circulated on social media, raising further questions. Parents argue that such scores are technically impossible under the exam’s marking scheme, which awards four marks per correct answer and deducts one mark for incorrect answers. NTA’s Response In response, the NTA stated that it received representations and court cases from candidates concerning lost time during the exam held on May 5. To address this, the NTA applied a normalization formula based on a 2018 Supreme Court judgment, which compensates for lost time with grace marks. This adjustment led to some candidates receiving scores of 718 or 719. Concerns Over High Scores Parent representative Ruiee Kapoor found the NTA’s explanation unsatisfactory, arguing that a score of 718 or 719 is improbable. Kapoor also highlighted the unusual number of perfect scores and the significant increase in cut-off marks, which rose from 137 to 164. This increase has made it more challenging for even top scorers to secure seats in prestigious institutions like AIIMS Delhi. Easier Exam Sections An NTA official explained that more students scored higher marks due to the normalization process and relatively easier physics and chemistry sections aligned with NCERT books. This approach aimed to ensure equity and discourage reliance on coaching institutes. Specific Concerns Some parents questioned the fairness of grace marks for lost time, suggesting this provision should have been specified in the exam brochure. Sachin Bangad, a parent representative, claimed the exam was “managed,” pointing to the unusual concentration of perfect scores at a single exam center in Faridabad, Haryana. The NTA acknowledged that an incorrect distribution of papers at this center led to a 45-minute delay, which was compensated using a court-mandated formula. Calls for Transparency Experts, including faculty doctors, have demanded clarity on the normalization criteria and its application across exam centers. Parents argue that the significantly higher cut-off scores have diminished the chances of many candidates aspiring to join government medical colleges. According to Bangad, students scoring below 660 marks now face slim chances of securing admission to government medical colleges, compared to previous years when students with 600 marks could secure seats. The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 results underscores the need for transparency and fairness in the exam’s normalization process and scoring criteria. As stakeholders continue to demand explanations and investigations, the NTA faces increasing pressure to address these concerns and ensure a fair admissions process for all candidates.  

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