The Madhya Pradesh High Court will next hear on May 26, 2025, the case concerning the declaration of NEET-UG 2025 results, especially in light of a power outage that affected several exam centres in Indore during the test conducted on May 5.
The case, titled Laxmi Devi vs National Testing Agency and Others (Writ Petition No. 17344/2025), was filed by a NEET aspirant who took the exam at Ilva Higher Secondary School, one of the affected centres. The student alleged that a 1–2 hour power failure, coupled with a lack of backup arrangements, forced candidates to take the critical national exam under candlelight and emergency lamps, causing “extreme stress” and affecting their performance. The petition called for a re-exam or alternative relief.
What happened so far
On May 15, Justice Subodh Abhyankar had initially issued an interim stay on the nationwide result declaration, citing the absence of legal representation from the Central Government at the hearing and the seriousness of the claims.
However, during the May 17 hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing via video conferencing for the NTA and the Union Government, clarified that the disruptions were limited to 11 centres in Indore. He requested that the court modify its earlier order and permit the declaration of results for the rest of the country.
The court accepted the argument and revised its order, allowing the NTA to declare results for all centres except the 11 in Indore, where disruptions were reported. The Solicitor General also assured the court that a detailed affidavit listing the affected centres would be filed within two days.
While the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Mridul Bhatnagar, raised concerns that students from affected centres might miss counselling rounds if they don’t receive their results in time, the court emphasised the need to avoid holding back lakhs of unaffected candidates due to localised issues.
“The declaration of results for unaffected centres must not be delayed due to isolated incidents,” the court observed.
The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on May 26, when the court is expected to examine the NTA’s response and consider whether a re-test or other remedy should be offered to students from the disrupted centres.
