The Madras High Court has temporarily halted the release of NEET-UG 2025 results after hearing a petition from 13 candidates who reported significant disruptions during their exam due to a power outage at the Avadi examination centre near Chennai.
Justice V. Lakshminarayanan issued an interim order on May 16, 2025, instructing the National Testing Agency (NTA) not to declare the results until further notice.
The petitioners, part of the 464 students who took the exam at the Avadi centre, claimed the power failure—lasting from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM on May 4, 2025—seriously hampered their ability to complete the test. With no backup power, candidates were forced to continue in poor lighting conditions. Additionally, rainwater entered the exam hall, forcing them to relocate mid-exam. Despite requesting additional time to compensate for these issues, exam authorities allegedly denied the request.
Next Steps
The NTA has been directed to file a response by June 2, 2025. The delay in the announcement of results has caused anxiety among students awaiting the next phase of their academic journey.
Importantly, the court’s stay does not affect the release of the provisional answer key, which is still expected to be published soon.