NEET UG Re-Test Plea: Supreme Court To Hear Student's Side

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a petition requesting a re-examination of the NEET UG 2025 for candidates affected by power outages at exam centres in Indore and Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. This follows significant controversy and litigation over alleged disruptions during the exam, which was held on May 4, 2025.

Background and Allegations:

Petitioners claim heavy rain and thunderstorms caused prolonged power cuts at multiple centres, leading to exams being conducted in poorly lit conditions, with emergency lights and candles reportedly arranged late in the exam window.

It was alleged that over 12 exam centres in Indore were impacted, disrupting the performance of many students. Some reportedly could not attempt several questions due to inadequate lighting and stress.

Students and their families filed numerous petitions, with at least 60 submitted from Indore and Ujjain demanding a re-test or alternative remedy.

Legal Proceedings:

The Madhya Pradesh High Court (MP HC) initially ordered a re-test for affected candidates, citing Article 14 of the Indian Constitution (right to equality).

However, on July 14, 2025, a division bench of the MP High Court quashed this re-test order, reasoning that conducting another NEET UG (a single-shift, single-question paper exam for over 22 lakh candidates) was impractical.

Instead, the court directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) and local authorities to ensure robust arrangements in future-especially uninterrupted power supply, adequate seating, and environmental conditions-but did not mandate any immediate re-test for this year.

The division bench acknowledged the disturbance and stress students faced but maintained that not all adverse circumstances could justify a nationwide re-exam and cited the practicality concerns given the exam's scale.

NTA's Position:

The NTA argued that alternative lighting (candles, emergency lights, inverters) was made available soon after the outage and that, according to their review, no major adverse impact on student performance was observed. They also highlighted that one candidate from a reportedly affected centre achieved the second rank nationwide.

Current Status:

Dissatisfied with the High Court's decision, the petitioners escalated their demand to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the NTA, asking for its response regarding arrangements made during the exam and will hear the petition next week.

The case is being closely watched, as its outcome may set a precedent for handling examination disruptions in the future and will impact thousands of students who claim their results were compromised due to circumstances beyond their control.