HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court expressed its dismay at the National Testing Agency (NTA) for issuing two report cards with different marks to a student for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-UG (NEET). The first card gave her score as 482 while the second showed 294.
The difference was discovered when the student approached the Kaloji Narayana Rao Medical and Health University for admission. The NTA is an autonomous organisation under the department of higher education of the Union ministry of education.
Responding to the issue, a division bench comprising Justice K. Lakshman and Justice Chillakuru Sumalatha directed the NTA to respond with their explanation by Monday.
The bench was dealing with a petition filed by Gandham Smithy Jyothsna, who told the court that the NTA had arbitrarily and erroneously changed her marks from 482 to 294. Her OMR answersheet, which was downloaded from the official website, reflected 484 marks.
N.S. Arjun Kumar, arguing on behalf of Jyothsna, informed the bench that she had an all India rank of 100456 and an OBC category rank of 50567 in the card issued on the date of declaration of results on September 7.
When she cross-checked the marks with the OMR answersheet and the final answer key published by the NTA, it showed 484 marks, an increase of two marks. Counsel submitted that when the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) uploaded the list of candidates who appeared in NEET-UG from Telangana state along with their marks and ranks on September 27, she was shocked to find that her marks were arbitrarily reduced to 294 marks and the all India rank standing to 332143 and OBC category rank to 144313.
Without going into the merits and comments, the court was surprised at the issuance of two report cards and directed the NTA to furnish their contention by Monday.
