The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition seeking a re-test for candidates of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2025 examination who allegedly faced power outages at exam centers in Indore and Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The petition challenges a recent order by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had previously rejected a similar plea. The Supreme Court has listed the matter for hearing next week.
The controversy emerged after some candidates experienced power outages lasting one to two hours during the exam due to thunderstorms, with claims that there were inadequate backup arrangements. Consequently, these candidates were allegedly compelled to write the exam in near darkness without any compensatory time.
In support of their claims before the High Court, the petitioners submitted video footage, media reports, and statements from the District Collector of Indore, which acknowledged the weather-induced power disruption.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET-UG exam, argued that the power outages did not adversely impact student performance. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, cited an expert committee report that concluded there was no significant deviation in average scores between affected and unaffected centers.
Initially, a single-judge of the High Court had ordered a re-examination for the affected candidates. However, this decision was overturned by a Division Bench of the High Court following an appeal by the NTA, leading to the present appeal before the Supreme Court.
The NEET-UG 2024 Exam also faced controversy due to multiple discrepancies, irregularities, and alleged malpractices. There were allegations of question paper leaks and some students received scores that appeared mathematically impossible, triggering widespread complaints and legal challenges. This led to nationwide protests, with demands to cancel the exam and conduct a re-test. The Supreme Court acknowledged that at least 155 students had directly benefited from a paper leak but ruled that there was no evidence of a systemic failure beyond isolated incidents. The Court also declined to order a re-examination, citing a lack of credible proof of widespread irregularities.
The CBI reported that the leak had occurred on the morning of the examination and traced burnt scraps of a photocopy of the NEET-UG 2024 question paper back to a girl examinee who had received the paper with a torn seal.
The current situation echoes concerns raised during the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, where allegations of paper leaks, unfair marking practices, and overall exam integrity led to multiple legal battles and calls for re-tests. The Supreme Court's intervention was sought, and while a re-test was ordered for some students, the fate of the exam for the remaining aspirants remained a significant point of contention.
In a similar case, the Madras High Court dismissed an appeal for a re-examination of NEET-UG 2025, despite power outages at Chennai centers. The court reasoned that it could not overrule the NTA's decision based on field-level verification and statistical analysis unless there was evidence of arbitrariness or illegal activity. The Madras High Court also emphasized the impact a re-examination would have on millions of candidates.
