Bindhushree J. Pawar, a National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 aspirant from Hangal in Haveri district, says there is a mix-up in her Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) paper. The mix-up, he says, has cost him the hospital chair he had already started preparing for.The result shows -11. He was expecting 663.
A space too big to describe
According to Bindhushree, the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) answer, released on June 21, shows that he got 663 marks. When the results were announced on July 16, his transcript showed -11 instead.The size of the gap is what caused his doubts. Bad results after 663 are expected not the kind of difference that comes from a few wrong answers. It suggested to him and his family that something was wrong with the paper itself, not the marking.
Incompatible OMR page
Bindhushree argues that though the OMR sheet sent to her has her name, roll number and signature, the answers on it do not reflect what she remembers writing on the day of the exam.He said he attempted 165 questions. The OMR page sent to him shows only 41 entries. He also said that the appearance of the black circles is not the same as when writing the answers by hand.His father, Jagadish Pawar, said the family was confident until they saw the paper for themselves. “When we checked the OMR, it looked like someone else’s,” he said. He said that Bindhushree had spent two years in training and had been doing well in the mock exams, which made the results difficult to accept. “We request the NTA to send its original OMR sheet and give us justice,” he said.
One minute question
Among Bindhushree’s comments is the time stamp written on the paper. Its entry time is shown as 1.56 pm and its exit time as 1.57 pm, a difference of one minute.“I don’t understand how a student can complete his OMR sheet in just one minute,” he said.The page also carries his time signature of 1.52 pm, as well as the signatures of two administrators, one at 1.56 pm and the other at 1.57 pm. The sequence of these times, he said, does not add up to the number of answers you want to put in.
Second finger sight
Bindhushree also raised concerns about the fingerprint on the paper, which she said appeared to be a second, smaller finger. He claims that his signature and other details on the paper are correct, although he doubts whether the answers are his.
No response despite repeated efforts
Bindhushree sent an email to NTA on July 22, asking for her original OMR paper, which she believes would confirm her expected score of 663. He didn’t answer. Calls made by his teacher to the NTA hotline also went unanswered, according to him.Haveri district administration forwarded his complaint to NTA. So far, there has been no response from the organization that is dealing with the inconsistencies in the documents, including inconsistencies in the number of entries, differences in stamps and fingerprints.
Part of a larger sample
Hangal has seen the scrutiny of the NEET process before. The area was the scene of a symbolic satyagraha earlier this year, which was held in protest against what it said were the publication of exam-related papers. Bindhushree’s case now adds to the long list of complaints from the district about the conduct and validation of the NEET UG process.At this point, the result will not change. His family continues to wait for an answer, with one document they believe will solve the issue: the original OMR sheet.(with organizational inputs)