NEET UG 2025 Retest Ordered by MP High Court for Students Hit by Power Cuts in Indore, Ujjain

However, the relief is limited to NEET UG 2025 students who had filed petitions before June 3, 2025, seeking redress due to the disruption.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct a re-evaluation of the NEET UG 2025 exam for candidates who experienced power outages during the exam at its Indore and Ujjain centers. However, the relief is limited to students who submitted applications before June 3, 2025, seeking redress due to the disruption. The decision was issued by Justice Subodh Abhyankar of the Indore court, who stated that students affected by these infrastructure failures cannot be penalized due to circumstances beyond their control.

The power outages occurred during the national medical entrance exam, held on May 4, 2025. In Indore alone, at least 18 centers reported significant power outages, some lasting up to an hour. Ujjain recorded similar problems at six centers, with outages lasting between 40 and 45 minutes. Several applicants testified before the court that they were forced to complete parts of the exam using flashlights or in dimly lit conditions, with many claiming to have lost crucial time and suffered undue stress. To understand the impact, the judge even showed a dimly lit setting inside the courtroom itself, noting that, unlike rooms with large windows, many exam centers lacked sufficient natural light.

The NTA had previously defended its position by presenting data showing that students at the affected schools answered a similar number of questions, with 11 candidates from Indore even scoring over 600 points. However, the court ruled that performance data alone could not invalidate the unfairness of the situation. Recognizing the psychological and physical distress caused by the power outage, the court stated that the affected candidates deserved a fair chance through a retake.

The High Court had previously stayed the declaration of results for students at 11 affected schools in Indore on May 15. It subsequently authorized the NTA to release the results for all other candidates. Now, with this ruling, the court has clarified that the results or counseling process for applicants will be subject to their performance in the new test, which the NTA is required to organize. It should be noted that the benefits of this order will not extend to students who submitted their applications after June 3.

This ruling is considered a significant step toward strengthening fairness and transparency in national entrance exams, especially in light of persistent concerns about exam conduct, technical issues, and candidate well-being. Legal experts believe the ruling could have broader implications for the handling of exam-related complaints in the future.