NEET UG 2025: HC grants stay on result after Chennai students point to power cut in exam centre

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has granted an interim stay restraining authorities from releasing NEET-UG-2025 results after hearing the plea of several students who were affected due to power cut at an examination centre here. Justice V Lakshminarayanan, hearing the plea, granted interim stay on Friday and adjourned the matter to June 2 for further hearing.

The crux of the submission of the students was that due to storm and heavy rainfall, there had been a power outage at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya CRPF-Avadi, Chennai, which was their examination centre, from approximately 3.00 PM to 4.15 PM on the date of exam, i.e. May 4, 2025.

According to an affidavit of 13 students, there were no backup facilities such as generators or inverters.

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No extra time despite disruption

"We were forced to write the examination under poor lighting conditions, and rainwater entered the examination hall, causing further disruption as we were asked to move from the assigned seats," they submitted. Despite the disruption, the examination authorities did not provide any extra time to the affected students. On account the same, the petitioners were not able to complete the examination fully.

The petitioners contended that they were subjected to grossly unequal examination conditions compared to candidates at other centres, violating Article 14 of the Constitution. Also, rights under Article 21 (Protection of life, liberty) had also been infringed. "A national-level competitive exam like NEET must ensure a level playing field, which was denied to the petitioners."

Despite timely representation on May 4 itself, and follow-up efforts, the respondent authorities have not acknowledged or addressed the genuine grievances of the petitioners. The respondents include the union government, National Medical Commission and the National Testing Agency that conducts NEET.