SC asks NTA to revise NEET-UG merit list as per IIT-D response to Physics question
New Delhi, Jul 23: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the National Testing Agency to revise its merit list by treating the answer suggested by a panel of three experts of IIT Delhi to a controversial physics question as the correct one.
The NTA had treated the two options as correct answers to the Physics question and had granted four marks to those examinees who had marked these options.
Now, only those students, whose answers match the one given by IIT-Delhi, will get four marks for the question and over four lakh NEET-UG aspirants, who answered the other option as per the old NCERT textbook, will lose five marks instead, leading to a reshuffle in their ranks.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was "vitiated" on account of "systemic breach" of its sanctity.
On the issue of the controversial physics question that was asked in the examination, the bench accepted the report of the experts of IIT Delhi that there was only one right answer and not two as alleged by some lawyers.
"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," it said.
In its report, IIT Delhi had said only one of the options - "atoms are electrically neutral as they contain an equal number of positive and negative charges" - to a question is correct.
Lawyer Tanvi Dubey, who appeared for one of the top rankers, said that the student scored 720 out of 720 and her ranks will go down drastically if only one answer is treated as the correct one.
She said both answers should be considered correct. The plea was rejected by the bench.
Earlier in the day, a panel of IIT Delhi experts told the bench that there was only one right answer and not two.
The bench CJI referred to the contents of the report and said, "We have received the IIT Delhi report. IIT Director Rangan Banerjee...constituted a committee from the Department of Physics and they say a team of three experts examined the question. They say that option four is the correct answer."
The CJI further said that option four, which says "Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect', is correct".
"The committee has opined clearly that there was only one option which is option four (4). So the National Testing Agency (NTA) was correct in its answer key which was option four (4)," the bench said.
On Monday, the bench faced a piquant situation over a physics question during the day-long arguments.
The contention led to the court asking the IIT-D director to constitute a team of three subject experts.
PTI also sought the response of Delhi University Associate Professor and IIT, Madras Alumni Naveen Gaur on the controversial question.
The question reads:
Given below are two statements: Statement I: Atoms are electrically neutral as they contain an equal number of positive and negative charges. Statement II: Atoms of each element are stable and emit their characteristic spectrum.
"In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
(1) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
(2) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
(3) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.
(4) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
Professor Gaur, who teaches at Dayal Singh College, said option four is the only correct answer.
More than 23.33 lakh students had taken the test on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 overseas.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
