NTA announces retest result, revised rank list for NEET-UG
New Delhi (PTI): The National Testing Agency announced the revised rank list for the medical entrance exam NEET-UG on Monday, officials said.
The revised list was announced after a retest was conducted for candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks to compensate for loss of time as the exam on May 5 started late at six centres.
For the retest conducted at seven centres on June 23 following a Supreme Court order, 48 per cent of the 1,563 candidates did not appear.
National Testing Agency (NTA) officials reported that 813 of the 1,563 candidates appeared for the retest while the others opted for the marks without the grace.
Centre-wise, Chandigarh -- which had just two candidates -- registered zero attendance. The under-scanner Jhajjar centre registered 58 per cent attendance, with 287 of the 494 candidates taking the retest.
Allegations arose that the grace marks inflated scores, leading to six candidates from a single Haryana centre achieving a perfect 720, along with 61 others. Consequently, the top court ordered the cancellation of the grace marks and provided an option for a retest.
"At least 52 per cent -- 813 out of 1,563 candidates -- appeared for the retest. No candidates appeared in Chandigarh while the numbers were 291 from Chhattisgarh, one from Gujarat, 287 from Haryana, and 234 from Meghalaya," a senior NTA official earlier said.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, with approximately 24 lakh candidates appearing for it. Initially expected on June 14, the results were announced on June 4 due to early completion of answer sheet evaluations.
Sixty-seven students scored a perfect 720, an unprecedented number in the NTA's history, with six from a single centre in Haryana, raising suspicions of irregularities and the role of grace marks.
NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.
The allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks, have led to protests and litigation, with various quarters demanding a complete re-examination.
The Centre, however, has maintained that incidents of irregularities were "localised" and it could not jeopardise the careers of lakhs of candidates who rightfully cleared the exam.
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Delhi govt systematically dismantling DCW, alleges Maliwal; AAP hits back
New Delhi, Jul 2: Former DCW chief Swati Maliwal has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing his government of "systematically dismantling" the women's panel since her resignation.
Hitting back, AAP said it is "extremely regrettable" that she "remains a puppet of the BJP".
"In the past, she has gone to great lengths to malign and defame the chief minister, because of her wrongdoings, Bibhav Kumar continues to suffer the brunt," the party said.
Her letter came a day after Delhi Women and Child Development Minister Kailash Gahlot said the women helpline 181 will now be run by his department and the number will remain inoperative for a few days for transition.
He said the central government plans to make it mandatory for the women's helpline to be run by the Department of Women and Child Development, rather than the DCW.
Maliwal had resigned as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) following her nomination to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party.
In her letter to the chief minister, who is in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, Maliwal alleged that the DCW staff has not been paid salary for the last six months, the panel's budget has been reduced by 28.5 per cent, the 181 helpline has been withdrawn, and no efforts have been made to fill the vacant posts of chairman and two members.
"I am writing this letter to bring attention to how the Delhi government has been systematically dismantling the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) since my resignation from the position of chairperson in January 2024. It is deeply regrettable that the systems that I had painstakingly built since 2015, are being destroyed by the government," Maliwal said in the letter.
Maliwal said that during her tenure of more than eight years, the commission handled more than 1.7 Lakh complaints from women and children. Additionally, the 181 Women Helpline operated by the commission received more than 41 Lakh calls since 2016, she claimed.
"As the chief minister of a city infamous as the rape capital of the world, it is critical to safeguard systems that protect women and girls," she said.
She said the Delhi government's Women and Child Development Department issued an order to reclaim operational responsibility for the 181 Women Helpline from the DCW.
"The commission has been informed that the order was issued after the approval of the concerned minister and is supposedly in compliance with a central government directive which states that 181 Women Helpline should be run by the WCD departments in states. Firstly, the DCW works under the aegis of the WCD Department. Hence, there was no need to take over the helpline from the commission," she said.
She alleged no consultation was held with the commission to evaluate the repercussions of this decision.
Maliwal also alleged that since her resignation, the commission has encountered a halt in funds, disrupting its operations.
This financial year, the commission's budget was unexpectedly reduced by Rs 10 crore, amounting to a 28.5 per cent cut, without prior consultation or warning, she alleged.
"The sudden and substantial budget reduction inflicted upon the commission shall adversely impacts its operations, leading to the closure of crucial programmes," she added.
In a statement, AAP said attention should be drawn to Maliwal's press conference outside the DCW office on May 2, where she unequivocally exposed the LG's order dated April 29, which arbitrarily removed 223 DCW staff, including acid attack victims and survivors, highlighting a "grave injustice" by the LG.
