The Education Ministry has established a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to over 1,500 candidates in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday. This decision follows allegations of mark inflation that led to 67 candidates sharing the top rank.

“The panel, headed by a former UPSC chairman, will submit its recommendations within a week, and the results of these candidates might be revised,” NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh stated at a press conference.

Singh emphasised that the grace marks did not affect the qualifying criteria of the exam and that the review would not impact the admission process.

Several NEET aspirants have claimed that mark inflation caused a record 67 candidates, including six from the same exam center, to achieve the top rank. The NTA, however, denied any irregularities. They attributed the high scores to changes in the NCERT textbooks and the awarding of grace marks for time lost at examination centers.

“We have analysed all the things transparently and declared the results. Out of 4,750 centres, the problem was limited to six centres and out of 24 lakh candidates only 1,600 candidates. The integrity of this exam throughout the country was not compromised. We analysed our system and there was no paper leak,” added Singh.