Haveri NEET Candidate Alleges Rigged OMR Sheet After Score Drops to 11

Bindushree Pawar, a NEET-UG re-test candidate from Hangal in Haveri district, has alleged that her OMR sheet and exam entry and exit timings were rigged after her results recorded a score of 11 marks instead of the 668 marks expected from the provisional answer key. Following a complaint, district authorities reviewed examination centre CCTV footage and confirmed that she spent three hours inside the hall.

Bindushree, who appeared for the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21, discovered upon the release of results on July 16 that her records indicated she had attempted only 41 questions, all within a single minute between 1.56 pm and 1.57 pm. Out of the 180 questions on the test paper, she stated that she had attempted 165 questions.

Speaking about the discrepancies, Bindushree pointed out multiple anomalies on her official records. She noted that her roll number and application number were listed as identical, her recorded entry and exit times were inaccurate, the bubbling patterns on the OMR sheet differed from her handwriting, and her fingerprint on the document appeared overlapped.

Her father, Jagadeesh Pawar, said Bindushree had spent two years preparing for a medical seat and had previously secured 680 marks before the original May 3 examination was cancelled due to a question paper leak. He expressed severe anxiety over the situation, citing the emotional toll and widespread concerns regarding exam irregularities across the country.

Bindushree sent three emails to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and attempted to contact its helpline but received no response. Following the announcement of results, she and her father met with P S Raju, principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Haveri district and the NTA's nodal officer. Raju reviewed exam details at his level and advised the family to submit a formal complaint directly to the agency, noting that while signatures appeared consistent, the candidate's allegations would be addressed by the NTA.

Haveri District Additional Deputy Commissioner L Nagaraj confirmed that local administration reviewed CCTV footage from the examination centre following the complaint. The footage confirmed that Bindushree was seated inside the exam centre for the full three-hour duration. The district administration has written to the NTA grievance cell and is awaiting an official response.