No NEET 2025 re-exam: Madras HC junks plea, says 22 lakh candidates can't be affected

Chennai: The Madras High Court recently dismissed a plea seeking re-examination of the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET) while observing that if any re-exam is permitted on trivial grounds, the same would seriously affect the level playing field of around 22 lakh candidates.

Filing the plea, a group of NEET aspirants sought a re-examination as they claimed that their examination centre was disrupted due to the heavy rainfall and poor management by the centre.

Justice C Kumarappan dismissed the plea after taking note of the report filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which mentioned that even though there was brief power outage during the examination, it did not affect the performance of the candidates, as the examination halls were reported to be sufficiently illuminated with the natural daylight. Apart from this, NTA further claimed in the report that the School Authorities had also arranged for power backup facility.

"Therefore, when the Authority themself, after field verification and with the scientific method, had arrived at a reasonable conclusion that there are no grounds for re-examination, the same needs to be accepted, unless the said report is tainted with mala fides. In the instant cases, I do not find any mala fides on the part of the respondents. Furthermore, all over India, there were about 22 lakhs students have participated in the NEET (UG) 2025 examination. In such view of the matter, if any re-examination is permitted on trivial grounds, the same would seriously affect the level playing field of more than two million candidates. Hence, this Court does not find any merit in these writ petitions," observed the HC bench.

Also Read: Madras HC Orders Interim Stay on NEET 2025 Results Declaration

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after hearing the plea of candidates who were affected due to a power cut at an examination centre based in Chennai, the Madras HC bench comprising Justice V Lakshminarayanan had granted an interim stay restraining the authorities from releasing the NEET UG 2025 results.

This group of students had mentioned in their plea that due to storm and heavy rainfall, there had been a power outage at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya CRPF-Avadi, Chennai, which was their examination centre, from approximately 3.00 PM to 4.15 PM on the day of the exam i.e. May 4, 2025. In their affidavit submitted before the HC, these candidates had also claimed that there were no backup facilities such as generators or inverters and therefore, they had to write the exam under poor lighting conditions. Since rainwater entered the exam hall, it caused further disruption as the students were allegedly asked to move from their assigned seats. They had also claimed that the examination center did not provide any compensatory time to them.

On the other hand, the Additional Solicitor General contended that even though there was a brief power outage, there was no impact upon the performance of the candidates, as the exam was conducted during day-time and he would further submit that the situation was scientifically analysed and found that no re-examination is necessary. He further contended that more than two million candidates had participated in the exam across India and therefore, if any re-examination was ordered, it would seriously affect the level playing field. With this argument, the ASG prayed to the Court to dismiss the pleas.

The Court noted that on 16.05.2025, the ASG represented before the Court, stating that they would conduct a factual enquiry to find out whether there was any electricity outage as alleged and if it impacted the performance of the candidates.

In pursuance of this, they conducted a field verification with the Centre Superintendent, City Coordinator, NTA-appointed Observers and Invigilators on duty in the examination halls. According to their report, even though there was a brief power outage, it did not affect the candidates' performance, as the exam halls were sufficiently illuminated with natural daylight and the School Authorities had also arranged for a power backup facility. However, the counsel for the petitioners objected to such contention, arguing that in the absence of CCTV footage, the report was self-serving.

The HC bench observed that "It is pertinent to mention here that the power outage happened due to sudden rain and storm. As rightly contended by the learned Additional Solicitor General, the examination was conducted during day time between 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM, where there is a natural ambient light."

Relying on the reply furnished by the authorities, the Court further observed,

"When the National Testing Agency, after thorough investigation had arrived at the above conclusion, though such conclusion was disputed by the petitioners, this Court has found no grounds to deviate from the above conclusion, as there is no malice pleaded against the National Testing Agency...Therefore, when the Authority themself, after field verification and with the scientific method, had arrived at a reasonable conclusion that there are no grounds for re-examination, the same needs to be accepted, unless the said report is tainted with mala fides. In the instant cases, I do not find any mala fides on the part of the respondents."

Further noting that a re-examination would affect the level playing field of more than two million candidates who appeared in the exam, the High Court dismissed the pleas.

To view the order, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/sai-priya-v-union-of-india-603416-289817.pdf

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