'No Arbitrariness': Delhi High Court Rejects Plea By NEET-UG Candidate For Re-Checking Of OMR Sheet

The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea filed by a candidate seeking to recalculate his OMR evaluation and to revise his result and rank in relation to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (UG) 2025.

Justice Vikas Mahajan said that there was no discrimination or arbitrariness in the process adopted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for checking the OMR sheets.

“The OMR sheets of all candidates were checked by the OMR scanners, without human interference, therefore, the same yardstick was applied in case of each candidate. Further, this Court finds that non-awarding of marks to the petitioner for the aforesaid four questions, is absolutely in accordance with the instructions given to the candidates in relation to the OMR sheet,” the Court said.

It added: “No discrimination or arbitrariness in the process adopted for checking the OMR sheet has been pointed out, and this Court finds that there exists none.”

The Court rejected a plea filed by Abid Khan who sought admission in the Government Medical College in Himachal Pradesh in the ST Category merit list.

It was his case that he secured 92.5368 percentile in the exam. It was submitted that upon checking the scanned images of OMR sheet and recorded responses for NEET (UG) 2025, he observed that the NTA failed to consider his responses with respect to five questions.

It was contended that the answers of all the said questions were correct and that he had marked only one circle in response to each answer.

The counsel appearing for NTA submitted that with respect to one of the five questions, the candidate was awarded marks. However, with regard to other four questions, he had opted not to fill the circle fully, and had put only spot marks, due to which the OMR scanner could not read the option marks and the same were treated as 'unanswered.'

Rejecting the plea, the Court noted that every candidate taking the NEET (UG) 2025 exam was specifically and clearly informed about the instructions in respect of filling the OMR Sheet.

It added that Khan was well aware that in case he does not darken the circle as instructed, it will not be scanned by the OMR scanner.

“As is evident from the OMR sheet, the petitioner had not darkened complete circle. Insofar as Q. 140 & 141 are concerned the petitioner has put only dots, and for Q. 137 & 139 complete circle has not been darkened. It is for the said reason, the OMR scanner failed to read the answer given by the petitioner and the he was not awarded marks for the same,” the Court said.

It further said that the Information Bulletin of NEET (UG), 2025 provides that there is no provision for rechecking lr revaluation of the answer sheet for the reason that the OMRs are machine gradable and are being evaluated through specific software impartial to all.

“The law is well settled that Prospectus / Bulletin of Information issued by Institution / University is binding and no mandamus can be issued to the educational institutions to act contrary to their own procedure,” it said.

Title: ABID KHAN v. NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY & ORS

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