NEET-UG 2025: Madhya Pradesh High Court Permits Re-Test for Students Affected by Power Outage in Indore and Ujjain

In a significant development concerning the NEET-UG 2025 examination, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct a re-test for candidates who were adversely affected by a power outage at examination centres located in Indore and Ujjain. The decision comes as a relief for a group of petitioners who approached the Court after experiencing severe disruption during the examination.

A bench led by Justice Subodh Abhyankar allowed a batch of writ petitions filed by students who argued that they were placed at a disadvantage through no fault of their own. The Court observed that the situation violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality. It was noted that while some students had sufficient access to natural light, others were forced to attempt the paper under significantly dimmer conditions due to the lack of electricity. The Court stated that such disparity created an unfair testing environment and warranted judicial intervention.

To better understand the situation, the bench turned off the lights in the courtroom during the hearing to simulate the conditions faced by the petitioners. While the courtroom had large windows that allowed limited natural light, the Court pointed out that many examination centres do not have such provisions. This experiential demonstration supported the petitioners’ claim of being placed in a disadvantaged setting.

The Court further clarified that the re-test would only apply to those students who filed petitions before June 3, 2025—the date on which the provisional answer key was released. Importantly, the rank of these candidates will be determined solely based on the outcome of the re-test. Additionally, the ongoing counselling process will remain subject to the results of the re-examination.

This order marks a critical moment in ensuring fairness and equality for candidates affected by unforeseen and unequal circumstances during one of the country’s most competitive examinations.