The Supreme Court's recent decision to withdraw grace marks awarded to some candidates and order a re-examination has left many discontented while providing a new opportunity to others. As per the reports, wrong question papers were initially distributed at two examination centres in Bahadurgarh town of Haryana during the NEET-UG exam held on May 5, causing a delay of around 30 minutes. Grace marks were subsequently awarded to candidates at one centre, while those at the other centre were allegedly denied such compensation.
This has brought unhappiness among the high-scoring students who benefitted from the grace marks. One such candidate from Jhajjar, who secured full marks with grace marks, said while she is a bit disappointed, she is ready to appear for the exam again to prove her ability without relying on any concessions. Other top scorers expressed similar sentiments, resolving to perform well in their fresh attempt.
On the other hand, candidates who lost out on time due to the error but did not get grace marks have welcomed the re-examination order. They argue it is unfair that only one centre received grace marks while the other faced discrimination. With the Supreme Court's step, those deprived earlier now hope to get another opportunity to showcase their potential.
Teachers guiding NEET aspirants and examination centre officials interviewed denied any possibility of malpractice during the test, given the security arrangements in place. The education community by and large considers the top court's intervention as a step towards validating theselection process through a fair, consistent and transparent mechanism. While it has come as a setback for some, many see this as a chance to prove themselves on merit. The final outcome will hopefully satisfy all.
