Conduct NEET-UG retest for candidates affected by power cuts, directs Madhya Pradesh high court
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to organise a retest for NEET-UG candidates impacted by power outages at exam centres, recognising that they were unfairly disadvantaged through no fault of their own, according to a report by PTI.
The High Court referred to Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality and justice for all citizens, to grant relief to the petitioners.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) was held on 4 May, when some parts of the state experienced power outages caused by bad weather.
Justice Subodh Abhyankar from the Indore bench of the High Court reserved his decision in the previous month after listening to arguments from all involved parties regarding the petitions of multiple NEET-UG candidates.
Mridul Bhatnagar, the petitioners’ lawyer, told PTI that the court’s order will benefit 75 candidates affected by power cuts at NEET-UG exam centres in Indore and Ujjain.
The order stated that, through no fault of their own, candidates were unfairly disadvantaged by a power outage. This outage did not affect other examination centres or even the same centre, where some students benefited from good locations with adequate natural light.
Further, the court instructed the NTA to carry out the examination promptly for the affected candidates and to announce the results, emphasising that the petitioners’ ranking should be determined solely by their scores in the retest.
“It is made clear that those persons who have filed the petition after the declaration of provisional answer key i.e., June 3, 2025, shall not be entitled to get any benefit of this order,” PTI quoted order.
The petitioners stated that a power outage caused by bad weather on May 4 impacted their performance in the entrance exam and requested permission to retake it.
Representing the NTA, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta cited a committee report indicating that alternative power arrangements were in place at most examination centres. Additionally, power was quickly restored following complaints to the power distribution company.
