Top News

A student from Madhya Pradesh has approached the relevant High Court, questioning the marks awarded in the result. The student claims that, based on the official OMR sheet and the final answer key, his score should be significantly higher.

NEET OMR Sheet Controversy: Complaints regarding the result have been pouring in ever since it was released on July 16, and the controversy shows no signs of subsiding. A student from Madhya Pradesh has moved the High Court, challenging his marks. He claims that while the official OMR sheet and final answer key indicate a much higher score, the result released by the NTA awards him far fewer marks. Amidst this, many candidates have various questions. Let us explain where to lodge a complaint if any discrepancy is noticed in the result or OMR sheet, and whether a re-evaluation is possible.

Madhya Pradesh student alleges a discrepancy of 241 marks

Lokendra Singh Khadiya, a student from Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, has filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Indore Bench). He claims that according to the NTA’s official OMR sheet and final answer key, he should have secured 104 marks in Physics, 125 in Chemistry, and 76 in Biology. This totals 305 marks; however, the result declared on July 16 awarded him only 64 marks—a discrepancy of 241 marks. The petition states that when the NTA uploaded the OMR sheet to the portal on July 14, the answers for the Physics and Chemistry sections appeared blank upon the initial login. Upon logging in again a short while later, a different OMR sheet was displayed, showing all the answers recorded. The student has attributed this to a technical glitch and alleged a serious error in the OMR data processing, evaluation, or result preparation process.

High Court Seeks Response from the Centre

During the hearing, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted the Central Government one week to file a response. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 28. The petition raises not only the issue of alleged discrepancies in marks but also challenges the legal and constitutional validity of the NTA. The petitioner argues that the NTA is not a statutory body created by Parliament but a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860; therefore, its legal status should be subject to judicial review.

Where Can One Lodge a Complaint Regarding Discrepancies?

If a candidate suspects a discrepancy between their OMR sheet and the result, they should first re-verify their marks against the NTA’s official OMR sheet and final answer key. If the discrepancy persists, it is crucial to preserve the relevant documents. The NTA accepts candidate complaints through its official grievance redressal mechanism.

Candidates can lodge complaints via the grievance portal available on the NTA website. Additionally, full details and necessary documents can be sent to the NTA’s official email address. If the grievance remains unresolved, candidates can also file a complaint through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal. Helpline services are also available for exams like NEET, JEE, and UGC-NET, where issues can be reported by providing the application number.

Can a Re-examination/Verification Be Conducted?

If a candidate possesses documentary evidence of a discrepancy between the OMR sheet, final answer key, and score card, they can request an independent verification from the NTA. In such cases, candidates can ask for a review of the evaluation process, OMR data, and marks calculation. If the NTA’s response is unsatisfactory and the matter affects admission, candidates may also approach the court.