The National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) that the one-hour power outage during the NEET-UG 2025 examination at several centres in Indore did not impact the candidates’ performance, reported Medical Dialogues.
Medical aspirants had filed petitions before the HC claiming that the power failure disrupted the exam and forced them to rely on emergency lamps or candles to complete the test.
However, during the hearing on Monday, June 23, NTA’s counsel submitted a report prepared by an independent committee, which concluded that despite the one-hour outage at 18 exam centres, adequate natural light was available, allowing candidates to continue the exam without much difficulty.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), told the Madhya Pradesh HC that the power outage during the NEET-UG 2025 exam in Indore did not have a significant impact on candidates' performance.
He stated, "If there had truly been insufficient lighting, the first indication would have been a significantly lower number of attempted questions. The broader outcome would not have reflected such high performance, yet, 11 candidates from the concerned centres have scored over 600 out of 720 marks."
The HC bench, led by Justice Subodh Abhayankar, has scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 30, 2025.
The NEET UG 2025 examination, held on May 4, serves as the primary entrance test for UG medical admissions across India. However, several centres in Indore reportedly experienced a power outage on the day of the exam due to adverse weather conditions.
Approximately 27,000 candidates appeared for the NEET UG 2025 examination in Indore, where 49 exam centres were selected. In a reply submitted to the Madhya Pradesh HC, NTA clarified that exam-related disruptions occurred at 18 centres in Indore and 6 in Ujjain, affecting over 2,000 students in total.
As previously reported by Medical Dialogues, more than 60 petitions have been filed from Indore and Ujjain regarding this issue.
One of the petitions alleged mismanagement and the absence of power backup at certain Indore centres, where students reportedly faced power outages lasting one to two hours during the exam.
The petitioner further pointed out that NEET UG 2025 was conducted nationwide and internationally on May 4, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Additionally, the plea highlighted that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert and an advisory on May 3, warning of potential severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and rainfall.
The petitioner argued that, despite a red alert issued by the IMD, authorities failed to ensure proper power backup at NEET exam centres in Indore, resulting in a one to two hour disruption. As a result, students were forced to write their exams in poorly lit conditions, causing significant stress.
In response, the NTA submitted an affidavit on May 19, 2025, stating that field reports from the City Coordinator, Centre Supervisors, Observers, and the District Collector indicated no major disruptions. Nonetheless, as a precaution, a statistical analysis of candidates’ OMR responses was conducted. The findings showed no significant deviation between affected and unaffected centres.
Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh HC had stayed the NEET UG result at 11 Indore centres affected by the outage. While the stay initially applied to results nationwide, it was later limited to just those 11 centres after the scope of the issue was clarified.
According to a LiveLaw report, during the hearing on June 23, SG Tushar Mehta informed the court that the NEET exam was held at 5,466 centres across India, including 49 in Indore, of which 18 centres experienced power outages. He noted that out of 22.9 lakh total candidates, 27,064 were from Indore, but only 75 candidates had approached the court, and it remained unclear which centres they had attended.
Emphasising a non-adversarial stance, the SG stated that a three-member independent committee had been set up to examine the issue. Citing the committee’s findings, he highlighted that 11 candidates from Indore scored above 600 marks, placing them among the top 1,300 scorers nationwide.
He further pointed out that the average number of questions attempted by students at centres in Indore – whether affected or not – ranged between 119 and 127 out of 170, suggesting that the power outage did not have a significant impact on performance.
On the other hand, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the district administration failed to provide basic power backup at several NEET UG exam centres. He informed the court that over 100 petitioners from 24 centres in Indore and six more from two centres in Ujjain had now come forward. According to the petitioners, the exam observer had acknowledged the power outage and reported a significant drop in visibility, from a level of 4 to 1.
The petitioners also questioned the neutrality of the review committee, pointing out that it was constituted by the NTA, the same authority responsible for conducting the exam.
Responding to these concerns, SG Tushar Mehta clarified that the committee included independent experts with no affiliation to the NTA. He also submitted a detailed report outlining the power conditions at all 49 exam centres in Indore. The report indicated that either sufficient natural light or a diesel generator (DG) backup was available to ensure the exam could be conducted smoothly.
While acknowledging that a power disruption occurred at 18 centres for about one hour, the SG stated that candidates were still able to continue the exam without significant interruption due to the availability of natural light.
During the recent hearing, NTA’s counsel read out the conclusion of the committee report, stating, "With 99% confidence, there is no evidence to suggest that the power outage at the centres had any significant adverse effect on candidates' performance as measured by the number of questions attempted. Then there is no significant difference between candidates who appeared at the affected and non-affected centres in Indore and neighbouring cities."
Referring to this, the counsel argued that reconducting the exam would raise concerns over “differential difficulty levels across question papers” and would compel “about 27,000 candidates to sit in the exam centre without their consent.”
SG Tushar Mehta further stated, “Many of the candidates from the concerned centres have scored very good marks. But out of just fear, which every student would have and with the wish that they could do better, they are before the court.” He also urged the court to consider the interests of the remaining 27,000 candidates in Indore.
In response to a query from the court about any precedent for allowing limited re-examinations, SG Mehta cited a SC case from the previous year where candidates were allowed to reappear due to multiple correct answers in certain questions.
However, the petitioners' counsel questioned the reliability of NTA’s findings, pointing out the absence of verifiable evidence such as CCTV footage. He argued that the data only reflected the number of questions attempted and failed to capture the emotional distress of students, asking, “But how will we record the fear and anxiety of the candidates facing such power outages?”
When it was alleged that NTA had denied access to CCTV footage, SG Mehta responded, “There is no dispute that there was a power outage; this is an accepted fact. But the question is, did the power outage impact the candidates?”
The petitioners’ counsel maintained, “It is not that every student has to give the examination, there must be an option.” SG Mehta opposed this view, warning it would create an “unlevelled playing field.”
The HC has now scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 30, 2025.
