Kerala HC orders probe after NEET candidate alleges OMR sheet manipulation

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered an investigation into an alleged optical mark recognition (OMR) sheet scam in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021.

Justice N Nagaresh ordered the National Testing Agency (NTA), which administers NEET, to conduct an investigation after considering a petition filed by a candidate named Rithu Sibi from Thrissur.

The petitioner alleged that the OMR sheet published along with the results two days after the test, held on September 12, was different from the one submitted by her. During the test, the petitioner had recorded her fingerprint and her personal details, including the name of parent, on the sheet. However, the OMR sheet published in her name had the name of her parent in somebody else’s handwriting and someone else’s fingerprint, the petitioner alleged. The petition also said the roll number entered in numerals and the one in the OMR format were different.

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The NTA has until November 8 to submit its response.

This is one of many allegations against the test. Recently, a group of students had alleged that they had received a question paper and answer booklet bearing the same code and seven-digit serial number. But due to a mix-up by invigilators, some students, including the petitioners, received question papers and answer booklets bearing different codes and serial numbers. The HC had asked NTA to hold the test again.

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Earlier, the question paper of the exam was posted on social media half an hour after the exam began. The police arrested a candidate, Dineshwari Kumari, 18, along with several others in connection with the case.