NEET 2026: Delhi HC refuses to interfere with NTA final answer key, backs expert opinion

New Delhi: Observing that courts cannot replace the opinion of subject experts unless an answer is clearly and demonstrably wrong, the Delhi High Court has refused to interfere with the final answer key of NEET UG 2026 examination.

Justice Jasmeet Singh dismissed a petition filed by 17-year-old NEET candidate, who challenged the answer to Question No. 150 of the Biology section in Test Booklet Code 80.

The court said the National Testing Agency (NTA) had placed objections raised by candidates against the provisional answer key before a panel of subject experts from leading institutions at the national level. After examining the objections, the experts found no reason to change the disputed answer in the final answer key.

"Therefore, the final answer key has been duly approved by renowned subject experts. This Court does not have, and cannot have, the expertise to adjudicate upon the opinions and conclusions of subject experts. Unless the answers determined by the experts are demonstrably wrong, we have to accept their expert opinion," the bench remarked. 

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The petitioner appeared for the NEET-UG re-examination held on June 21 after the original May 3 examination was cancelled. He scored 695 out of 720 marks and secured an All India Rank of 65.

The candidate challenged the answer marked as correct by the NTA for Question No. 150. He had selected Option 2, while the NTA considered Option 3 to be correct. As a result, he lost five marks, four marks for the correct answer and one mark due to negative marking.

He argued that the question had more than one correct answer and that the answer accepted by the NTA was scientifically incorrect.

The NTA opposed the petition, stating that his objection had already been examined by a panel of subject experts. The panel found the objection without merit and therefore retained the answer in the final answer key.

While dismissing the petition, the court reiterated that judicial review of an examination answer key is limited to cases where there is a patent error and the answer is clearly shown to be incorrect on the basis of the record.

The court also rejected the petitioner's request to constitute a fresh committee of subject experts to examine whether the answer provided by the NTA's expert panel was correct.

It observed as quoted by Live Law, "However, I cannot agree with the same. In the present case, the question papers are set by subject experts. Thereafter, when the provisional answer key is issued, the objections received from the candidates are considered and examined by the subject experts of respondent No. 1."

The court further observed that changes are made to the final answer key only when subject experts, after examining the objections, find sufficient merit in them.

The court ordered, "Considering the facts of the present case, there is no doubt that the petitioner is an extremely promising, intelligent and hardworking student, but on the facts stated above, this Court cannot come to his aid and can only express its sympathy. Accordingly, the petition is dismissed along with the pending applications."

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