Power Outage disrupted NEET 2025- MP HC Stays Result Declaration for Complainant Candidates

Indore: Modifying its earlier order, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has recently clarified that the stay imposed on the declaration of NEET results for candidates affected by the power outage will be limited to only those who filed petitions before the Court.

Previously, the HC bench had stayed the declaration of National Eligibility-Entrance Test (NEET) results for 11 test centres in Indore, which were affected due to power outage.

However, yesterday, the Court modified its order and gave liberty to the National Testing Agency (NTA) to declare the results of all other candidates except the petitioners.

"Looking to the facts & submission as made by the rival parties as well as the order dated 16-05-2025, the interim order dated 15-05-2025 is modified as follows: Respondent No.1 is free to declare the result of all the candidates who have appeared in NEET-UG exam held on 04- 05-2025 except the candidates who have filed writ petitions before this Court till further orders," ordered the HC bench comprising Justice Pavan Kumar Dwivedi.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on 23.06.2025.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Madhya Pradesh High Court stayed publication of the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam results at 11 centres in Indore, which had faced a power outage during the UG medical entrance test held on May 4, 2025.

Even though at first the HC bench had stayed the NEET UG results for the entire country, later it modified the order after noting that the problem of power outage was limited to 11 centres only.

The High Court's order has been issued in response to a plea by a student who claimed that her performance in the NEET UG exam on May 4 was severely impacted by a power outage at her exam centre in Indore. Filing the plea before the HC bench, the petitioner prayed to be allowed to appear for the examination again.

Around 27,000 students appeared for the NEET UG exam in 2025 in Indore, for which 49 centres were set up. Earlier, in its reply submitted before the HC bench, NTA had clarified that the NEET exam was disrupted at 18 centres in Indore and 6 centres in Ujjain, affecting more than 2,000 students in total. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that more than 60 petitions had been filed from Indore and Ujjain in connection with this issue.

In one of the pleas, the petitioner alleged purported mismanagement and lack of power backup for around 1 to 2 hours while organising NEET exam at some of the centres in Indore. The petitioner alleged that the exam was conducted at various centres across the country and abroad on May 4 from 2 PM to 5 PM. Further, the petitioner stated that the Meteorological Department had issued a red alert and an advisory on 03.05.2025 highlighting chances of severe thunderstorm and gusty winds along with rainfall.

The petitioner had further submitted that despite the red alert, the authorities failed making proper arrangements for a power backup and due to this, the candidates had to face complete mismanagement for 1 to 2 hours because of which students at the centres were forced to write their exam in the poorly lit areas. This caused extreme stress to them, alleged the petition.

On the other hand, NTA in its affidavit dated 19.05.2025 stated that field reports obtained from the City Coordinator, Center Supervisor and Observers as well as report from the District Collector, Indore suggested that there was no obstruction in proper completion of exam. However, as a measure of abundant caution a response analysis of the questions attempted by the candidates on their respective OMR Answer sheets has been carried out by a team of Statistical Experts engaged by NTA. According to NTA, this body said that the Committee carried out a detailed statistical analysis and according to NTA findings of Committee suggests that there was no major deviation amongst the centres which are purportedly affected due to the weather and the centres which were unaffected.

The Court noted that in some cases intervention applications were filed the persons who claimed that there was no construction in smooth completion of examination and therefore, they opposed the prayer of the petitioners.

As per the latest media report by Live Law, during the hearing of he case on Monday, the petitioner's counsel submitted "The report has admitted that there was no power backup facility available. There was no uniform arrangement. That is the discrimination done with the petitioners. On an average, they have charged Rs. 1500 from each candidate. So your responsibility is to provide uniform facilities to all the students. So why this discrimination? Their report says there was no power backup but everywhere you are saying that there was power arrangement done by the respondents. Students have managed with the candle lights, emergency lights. This was national standard examination..."

In response, the Court observed, "We'll fix it for final hearing. You all can complete your pleadings and submit your final submissions along with case laws."

At this outset, the petitioner's counsel submitted, "My Lord, on last date you have asked us to come with a solution also. I would request either there is an option…previously in Supreme Court NTA had submitted some recommendation from the committee appointed by the NTA only. Secondly, if you feel comfortable, if NTA is also agreed with our suggestion then to save time we will form a committee of senior advocates including district judges and retired judges and they will submit a report so that will serve the purpose."

Meanwhile, the counsel for Union of India, the Solicitor General Tisher Mehta submitted to the Court, "We have also moved an application praying for vacating of this interim order, the reason being that out of the affected centres also only 75% are aggrieved. I'm not on the number…"

Taking note of the submissions, the Court orally observed, "What I am saying that we will modify this order only to the extent for the petitioners who have approached the Court."

Responding to this, the Solicitor General replied by stating, "I have no difficulty my Lord, if they want to take a chance…but then counselling will not wait. Entire country's counselling will not wait."

At this outset, the Court observed, "That I will not stop. I have seen para 16 of your reply also. There are students of the same centre who are against this so I will not be stopping the results of all the students of those affected centres. Only those who have come to the Court…"

Meanwhile, the petitioner's counsel argued that the counselling should not be done because if it is done, then ultimately the petition becomes infructuous.

"We will not stop counselling but we will protect your rights in case you succeed ultimately then the respondents will protect your right," said the Court orally.

Accordingly, listing the matter for further hearing on June 23, the Court ordered, "Looking to the nature of controversy involved in the matter all the parties are directed to complete their pleadings within a period of one week from today. The respondents either file their reply in each case or adopt the same by placing copy of the reply filed by them in writ petition No.17344/2025 as may be the case. All the parties are directed to prepare written submissions and place the same on record."

To view the order, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/mp-hc-power-outage-290293.pdf

Also Read: NEET 2025 Chaos: Over 2,000 MP Students Affected, Next Hearing on May 29