Severe thunderstorms that triggered significant disruptions in power supply that caused inadequate lighting conditions adversely impacted the performance of petitioners appearing for their mandatory NEET Undergraduate Examination for admission into medicine at that time. The extra time allocated for such disruptions was also not provided compelling them to move court for a re-test. The case which was presided over by Justice Subodh Abhyankar of the Madhya Pradesh High Court conditionally acceded to their plea.

Facts:

The NEET exams took place on May 4, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM across various centers, including locations in Indore. Unfortunately, severe thunderstorms struck at the time severely disrupting power supplies across the city forcing students to continue giving their exams under poor light in a few examination centres.

The petitioner's counsel argued that she had diligently prepared for this examination, noting that this was her third attempt. With no reliable power backup at her exam center, her ability to perform was considerably hampered. The counsel underscored that filing a petition was the sole recourse available to address the grievances resulting from these circumstances.

Additionally, the counsel mentioned that more than 200 students had similar complaints regarding power supply issues during the examination contending that students were rightfully aggrieved and their grievance warranted judicial intervention.

Reports in local newspapers corroborated these claims, highlighting the widespread difficulties candidates faced due to similar power disruptions.

The evidence presented showed that many centers lacked proper power management, and although measures like candlelight backup were implemented, they were insufficient in ensuring a conducive exam environment. Statistical analyses conducted suggested that candidates from other centers who did not experience power failures had equivalent if not superior performances, raising further questions about fairness in the examination sessions.

During the arguments it was pressed that power issues could not be overlooked, since students faced unfair disadvantages due to circumstances beyond their control. If the grievances were left unaddressed, not only would their hard work go to waste, but it could also lead to severe mental distress with serious repercussions that they will have to grapple with.

It was therefore urged, that there should be a re-examination to ensure that those affected students could demonstrate their true capabilities under fair conditions.

The court consequently determined , organizing a re-examination by the National Testing Agency, emphasizing that the petitioner's rank should be solely based on her performance in the upcoming re-test.

However, relief to the petitioner was conditional. The court stated,

“This order shall be applicable to those petitioners who have filed their petitions prior to 3rd of June, 2025 only and would also include the petitioners who have appeared in the NEET from Ujjain centre, and also to those petitioners whose results have been declared but the petitions were filed prior to 3rd of June, 2025 when the provisional answer key was released, regardless of any interim order having passed in their favor or not”.

“It is made clear that those persons, who have filed the petition after declaration of provisional answer key i.e., 3rd June, 2025, shall not be entitled to get any benefit of this order”

Laxmi Devi Versus National Testing Agency And Others Writ Petition No. 17344 of 2025