Bindhushree J. Pawar, a National Eligibility Undergraduate Entrance Test (NEET UG) 2026 aspirant from Hangal in Haveri district, has alleged a mix-up in her Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet. The confusion, he says, has cost him a medical seat he had already started planning for.Your result shows a result of -11. She expected 663.
A void too great to explain
According to Bindhushree, the National Testing Agency (NTA), published on June 21, indicated that he would get 663 points. When the results were declared on July 16, his score sheet showed -11.The scale of the gap is what first raised his suspicion. A negative score after an expected 663 is not the kind of variation that comes from a few wrong answers. It suggested to her and her family that something had gone wrong with the sheet, not the brand.
A mismatched OMR sheet
Bindhushree claims that although the OMR sheet sent to her bears her name, roll number and signature, the answers on it do not reflect what she remembers marking on the day of the exam.He said he had attempted 165 questions. The OMR sheet sent to you shows only 41 entries. He also said that the pattern of blackened circles did not resemble his own handwriting style for marking answers.His father, Jagadish Pawar, said the family had trusted the process until they saw the sheet for themselves. “When we checked the OMR, it appeared to be from someone else,” he said. He added that Bindhushree had undergone two years of training and had consistently performed well in practical tests, making the result harder to accept. “We urge the NTA to please send its original OMR sheet and do us justice,” he said.
The one minute question
Among the details pointed out by Bindhushree is the time stamp recorded on the sheet. Your check-in time is shown at 13.56 and your check-out time is 13.57, with an interval of one minute.“I don’t understand how a student can fill his OMR sheet in just one minute,” he said.The sheet also bears his timed signature at 1:52 p.m., along with the signatures of two guards, one at 1:56 p.m. and the other at 1:57 p.m. The sequence of these schedules, he said, does not compare to the volume of answers a candidate would have to mark.
A second thumb impression
Bindhushree also raised concerns about the fingerprint on the sheet, which she said appeared to bear a second superimposed thumb impression. He maintains that his signature and other personal information on the sheet is correct, although he questions whether the answer entries belong to him.
No response despite repeated attempts
Bindhushree emailed the NTA on July 22, requesting her original OMR sheet, which she believes would confirm her expected score of 663. No response received. According to her, calls made by her teachers to the NTA helpline have also gone unanswered.Since then, the Haveri district administration has sent its complaint to the NTA. So far, there has been no response from the agency to address the specific discrepancies it has pointed out, including the mismatch in the number of entries, the timestamp gap and concerns about fingerprints.
Part of a larger pattern
Hangal has seen scrutiny from the NEET process before. The region was the site of a symbolic satyagraha earlier this year, held to protest alleged exam-related paper leaks. Bindhushree’s case now adds to a growing list of grievances in the district about how the NEET UG process has been conducted and verified.For now, its result remains unchanged. His family is still waiting for a response and the only document they believe would solve the matter – the original OMR sheet.(with input from the agency)