Madras HC rejects plea for NEET-UG 2025 re-exam over power outage claims

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a series of writ petitions filed by NEET-UG 2025 candidates seeking a re-examination due to alleged power disruptions at several test centres in Chennai. The petitions were filed by students who appeared for the medical entrance test at centres in Avadi, Kunrathur, and K.K. Nagar, claiming that the outage had hampered their ability to perform well.

Presiding over the case, Justice C. Kumarappan ruled that the findings of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which had conducted an on-ground verification, showed no significant impact on candidates’ performance due to the reported power cuts. The judge stated that the court must respect the conclusions of the examination authority unless clear evidence of malafide intent is presented—which, in this case, was absent.

“Given that nearly 22 lakh students appeared for NEET-UG 2025 across the country, allowing a re-test based on localised grievances would disrupt fairness and the level playing field,” the judge observed in the verdict.

Representing the NTA, Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan informed the court that a scientific analysis had been conducted. He asserted that the exam was held in daylight hours and that students at the affected centres had answered more questions on average than their counterparts in other districts, suggesting that their performance had not been compromised.