NEET UG 2025: MP High Court Stays Result Declaration For Candidates Who Complained Of Power Outage At Indore Centres

Justice Pavan Kumar Dwivedi in his order observed:

 "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 (NTA) 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."

The court in its May 15 order had temporarily stayed the declaration of results till the next date of hearing.  However the court in its May 16 order had allowed declaration of NEET UG results for centres across India except 11 centres of Indore which were affected by power outage.

The court was hearing a batch of pleas, including one where the petitioner therein is aggrieved by the purported mismanagement and lack of power backup for around 1 to 2 hours while organizing the NEET-UG exam at some of the centres situate in Indore. It was argued that the examination was conducted at various centres across the country and abroad on 04-05-2025 (Sunday) from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Petitioner further stated that Meteorological Department had issued red alert and advisory on 03-05-2025 that there were chances of severe thunderstorm and squally/gusty winds along with rainfall.

The Petitioner further submits that despite this red alert by the Meteorological Department, respondents failed to make arrangements for providing backup in case of power outage which has resulted in complete mismanagement for a period of around 1 to 2 hours because of which students at the centres were forced to write their exam in the dark/poor light which has resulted in extreme stress and due to which petitioners could not solve their paper properly. 

Meanwhile the NTA in its affidavit said, field reports obtained from the City Coordinator, Center Supervisor and Observers as well as report from the District Collector, Indore suggest that there was no obstruction in proper completion of examination but 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 for this purpose. The body said that Committee has carried out a detailed statistical analysis and according to NTA findings of committee suggest that there was no major deviation amongst the centres which are purportedly affected from the weather and unaffected centres. 

During the hearing today the counsel for petitioner 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...”

The Court said, “We'll fix it for final hearing. You all can complete your pleadings and submit your final submissions along with case laws.”

The counsel for petitioner said, “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 Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Union of India said, “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…”

The Court orally said, “What I am saying that we will modify this order only to the extent for the petitioners who have approached the Court.”

The Solicitor General replied, “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.”

The Court said, “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…”

The petitioners' counsel said, “Counselling should not be done because if it is done then ultimately the petition goes infructuous.”

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

The court in its order further asked the parties to complete the pleadings within one week and listed the matter for further hearing on June 23

Case Title: Laxmi Devi Vs National Testing Agency And Others, Writ Petition No. 17344 Of 2025

Counsel for Petitioners: Advocate Mradul Bhatnagar, Nitin Singh Bhati and Chinmay Mehta

Counsel for Respondents/Union of India: Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and Deputy Solicitor General Himanshu Joshi

Counsel for Respondents: Senior Advocates Rupesh Kumar and Romesh Dave