‘NTA failed to provide…’: MP High Court puts NEET result 2025 on hold over power failure at exam centre

NEET UG Result 2025: The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench has put the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET UG 2025) results on ‘temporary’ hold as students in a centre faced power outage in the middle of the entrance exam.

The bench of Justice Subodh Abhyankar heard a petition on the NEET controversy over power outage at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 centre. The petition stated that there was a power outage at 3.30 pm at this exam centre on the NEET exam date 2025. The single-largest entrance exam was held by the National Testing Agency (NTA) from 2 pm to 5 pm.

The bench noted that there “no representatives had appeared for the respondents (National Testing Agency) or Union of India” despite the court ordering the testing agency to take instructions on the matter,” as per reports.

The court has put a stay on the NEET UG results 2025, however, it has not specified whether the order is limited to an exam centre, a city, or nationwide. The NTA has not issued any clarification on this matter yet. As per the schedule announced earlier, the NEET result 2025 will be declared on June 14.

The court ordered that the NTA and Union of India “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 various parts of the city, it is directed that till the next date of hearing, the result shall not be declared by the NTA”, the reports read.

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How did power outage impact NEET UG 2025?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the single-largest medical entrance test on May 4 from 2 pm to 5 pm. Students who were allotted PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 centre started attempting the exam from 2 pm like the 22 lakh students across India.

However, around 3.30 pm – just one and half hours into the exam – there was a power outage. Students had to write the exam with minimal lighting, as there was no back-up plan or alternative solution. It was only at 4.30 pm – half before the exam ended – the staff at the centre arranged for candles.

The petitioners demanded conducting a re-exam or remedial measure to ensure fair assessment for MBBS, BDS admissions. Notably, the high level committee set by the ministry of education, following the Supreme Court order last year, recommended conducting the exam as a computer-based test (CBT). However, the exam was held in pen and paper format.

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NEET Controversy: Next hearing on June 30

The petition is likely to be heard next on June 30. The court has also issued a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA), Central Government and Madhya Pradesh West Zone Electricity Distribution Company, which are among the respondents, and sought their reply within four weeks.

The court further noted that despite directives to the respondents to take instructions on the plea, none appeared for the hearing on Thursday.

Talking to PTI, the petitioner's advocate, Mridul Bhatnagar, said, "Many centres set up for NEET-UG in Indore did not have generators or other alternative arrangements for electricity, even though the weather department had already issued a warning of thunderstorms in the city on May 4."

He said that when the weather conditions deteriorated on May 4, the power supply was cut for one to two hours at many centres in the city during the three-hour entrance exam, which affected the performance of the candidates. Bhatnagar claimed due to the sudden power outage, the entrance exam was conducted in candlelight at some centres.