On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed State Chief Secretary to write to National Testing Agency (NTA) to declare Akanksha Singh as the joint topper in All India Rank for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET Exam) 2020 along with current first rank-holder Soyeb Aftab.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday also felicitated Akanksha Singh who scored a perfect NEET score and secured the second rank across India in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) exam 2020.
A controversy had erupted recently over the issue of NEET rankings after NTA had awarded a higher rank to Soyeb Aftab, a candidate from Odisha and had downranked Akanksha Singh to the second position despite both of them securing a perfect score in the result of 2020 NEET examination. In a first, Odisha’s Soyeb Aftab and Akanksha Singh from Delhi had secured 720 out of 720 marks.
The NTA had awarded the first rank to Aftab while Akanksha Singh was given the second rank citing the age-criteria. As per NTA’s tie-breaking policy, candidates who are older in age will be given preference in the ranks over the younger ones. Hence, the 18-year-old Soyeb Aftab was ranked at first position as he is slightly older than Akanksha Singh after the NEET 2020 result was declared.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath facilitates Akanksha Singh who scored full marks in NEET exam but failed to become a ‘topper’ due to age criteria
On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath felicitated Akanksha Singh and also announced that the state government would bear all the expenses of Akanksha’s higher studies.
“Akanksha Singh is the pride of Uttar Pradesh,” expressed CM Yogi Adityanath. Girls are not less than boys and Akanksha has proved that, the Chief Minister added.
राष्ट्रीय पात्रता व प्रवेश परीक्षा (NEET-2020) में शत-प्रतिशत अंक पाने वाली विलक्षण प्रतिभा संपन्न जनपद कुशीनगर की बेटी आकांक्षा सिंह उत्तर प्रदेश का गौरव है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 28, 2020
अन्य छात्र/छात्राओं के लिए यह सफलता प्रेरणास्पद है।
बेटी को उसके उज्ज्वल भविष्य के लिए अनेकों शुभकामनाएं! pic.twitter.com/SV5rtbEcla
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Akanksha has desired to join the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. He added that the state government will bear all the expenses of her admission, food and lodging.
CM Yogi Adityanath also directed the Chief Secretary of the state to ask the expenses from the family and provide the sum of the amount at one go so that the family does not have to go through any difficulties in the future. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also presented a tablet to Akanksha and her brother.
Daughter of a former air force sergeant and a primary school teacher, Singh wanted to be an IAS officer till class 8 but decided to become a doctor after reading about AIIMS that inspired her to help people. The Uttar Pradesh government has also decided to name a road leading to Akanksha’s village after her.
