In a significant development that could affect over 21 lakh medical aspirants nationwide, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has put an interim stay on the declaration of NEET-UG 2024 results. The court acted on a plea filed by a girl student who alleged that her performance in the May 4 entrance test was severely hampered due to a power outage at her exam centre in Indore.
Justice Subodh Abhyankar, granting interim relief to the petitioner, observed that the examination conditions were compromised owing to the electricity failure, and the authorities failed to provide appropriate alternative arrangements. “It is directed that till the next date of hearing, the result of NEET-UG shall not be declared by the respondents,” the court ordered.
The petition, which was heard on Thursday, will be taken up next on June 30. Notices have been issued to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Central Government, and the Madhya Pradesh West Zone Electricity Distribution Company, seeking their responses within four weeks.
The NEET-UG exam is the sole gateway for undergraduate admissions in medicine and was held across India on May 4. On that day, several parts of Indore experienced power outages due to inclement weather, including thunderstorms.
Speaking to PTI, the petitioner’s counsel, Mridul Bhatnagar, stated that many NEET-UG centres in Indore lacked backup power arrangements, despite a prior weather alert issued by the meteorological department. “When the weather worsened, power supply at several centres was disrupted for one to two hours during the three-hour exam,” he said, adding that exams were even conducted by candlelight at some centres.
Bhatnagar said the student has sought a chance to reappear for the exam. He also mentioned that the NEET-UG 2024 results were expected to be declared around June 14, making the court’s stay order particularly significant.
The High Court also noted that none of the respondents appeared during the hearing, despite being asked earlier to take instructions on the matter.
