The Madhya Pradesh High court has ordered an interim stay on the results of NEET-UG examinations until it hears a clutch of petitions from applicants in Indore which claimed they had to take the exam in candlelight due to a power cut at their centre.
The examination was held on May 4 across India.
“Considering the fact that the respondent(s) have failed to provide proper conditions to the petitioner, who was appearing in NEET-UG examination, which was held on 04.05.2025, and was prevented due to power failure in the various parts of the city, it is directed that till the next date of hearing, the result of NEET-UG shall not be declared by the respondents,” Justice Abhyankar wrote in his order on Thursday.
The petitioners are seeking re-examination or an alternative to ensure fair assessment.
The respondent, the National Testing Agency, Ministry of Education and Health and Family Welfare, MP Paschim Khestra Vidyut company and the Government New Law College at Indore, have been issued notice.
According to a petition filed by one student, “examinations at [a] centre under control of Government New Law College, that experienced power outages due to mismanagement and lack of power backups for around 1 to 2 hours, and students at these centres, including the present petitioner. had to take the exam by candlelight/using emergency lamps.”
“That, the impugned exercise/inaction being discriminatory, arbitrary illegal, capricious and high-handed exercise of powers done by the Respondents,” the petition went on to say.
The examination took place at this centre on May 4 where despite advisories by the Indian Meteorological Department on the heavy thunderstorms in the area proceeded with the examination, petitioners argue., adding that the career of these aspirants “has been kept on stake.”
“The petitioner as well as her entire family has made all possible efforts for her best performance but due the action of the Respondents the petitioner could not perform as due to light failure for around 2 hours kept the petitioner under extreme stress and petitioner came under depression because of the ignorance of advisory issued by the meteorological department and mismanagement,” the petition quoted above read.
