The Supreme Court of India has declined to grant interim relief to two NEET UG 2025 candidates from Madhya Pradesh who sought permission to participate in counselling after experiencing power outages at their examination centres. The matter has been listed for a detailed hearing on July 25.

⚖️ Court’s Observations

• The bench, comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar, refused to allow provisional participation in counselling, citing the potential ramifications on over 22 lakh NEET UG candidates nationwide.

• The petition was filed by students Navya Nayak and S Sai Priya, who had earlier secured a favorable order from a single-judge bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court for a re-test. However, this order was later overturned by a division bench of the High Court.

• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), argued that permitting counselling based on isolated grievances could disrupt the national admission process and set an unsustainable precedent.

🗓️ Next Steps

• The Supreme Court has scheduled the final hearing for July 25, during which it will consider whether a re-test or any relief is warranted for the affected students.

• Until then, the candidates will not be allowed to participate in the ongoing NEET UG 2025 counselling process.

📝 Broader Impact

• The Court emphasized the importance of maintaining uniformity and fairness in national-level examinations and counselling processes.

• It reiterated that while individual grievances are important, they must be weighed against the interests of the entire candidate pool and the integrity of the system.

🔍 Summary

• What happened: Supreme Court denied interim relief to two candidates affected by power outages during NEET UG 2025.

• What’s next: Final hearing on their plea scheduled for July 25.

• Impact: Counselling will continue as planned; no special provision for the petitioners at this stage.

This decision underscores the judiciary’s careful approach in balancing fairness for individuals with the smooth functioning of a nationwide admission process.