NEET UG 2025 to be held again at centres affected by power cuts, as per court order
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Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
‘We understand the students' plight, but…': MP High Court reserves verdict on NTA's appeal against NEET UG retest
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the National Testing Agency's (NTA) appeal challenging a single judge's order that directed a re-test of NEET UG 2025 for candidates who faced a power outage at examination centres in Indore and Ujjain, according to Live Law. A division bench of Justices Vivek Rusia and Binod Kumar Dwivedi heard arguments from both sides before reserving the order. The Court had earlier stayed the single-judge ruling. The bench orally acknowledged the mental stress caused to students due to the disruption, however expressed concern over the practicality of a re-exam. 'We understand the students' plight… but out of 22 lakh candidates, only a few were affected. Everyone cannot be selected. Hard luck, bad luck,' the bench remarked. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, submitted that an independent committee comprising professors from IIT-Delhi and other universities had found no significant performance difference between affected and unaffected centres. He argued that the exam could continue due to the availability of natural light and diesel generators at some centres. He opposed the re-test plea, calling it a 'second bite at the cherry,' and warned that a retest would delay the entire academic calendar. He also opposed awarding grace marks, stating there is no clear method to determine who should receive them. He cited examples of high scorers from the affected centres, including a candidate who secured AIR 2, to argue that performance was not uniformly hindered. Advocates representing the students, however, maintained that light was insufficient, candlelight had to be used, and no power backup was provided, which is unacceptable in 2025. They emphasised that even a few affected candidates have the right to relief and cited previous court rulings in support. They sought a re-exam only for the genuinely affected students, not the entire centre. The case stems from a June 30 order by Justice Subodh Abhyankar, who noted that the affected candidates were put at a disadvantage through no fault of their own, warranting judicial interference under Article 14 of the Constitution. The High Court will now decide whether exceptional circumstances merit a limited re-exam.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
There is a quiet and visible crisis in higher education in India that runs deep: Deepak Nayyar
There is a quiet crisis in higher education in India that runs deep, distinguished academician and former Chief Economic Advisor Deepak Nayyar said here on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), delivering the 2025 B.G. Deshmukh Lecture on 'The Crisis of Higher Education in India: Disturbing Present and Worrisome Future'. Holding the Narendra Modi government responsible for the crisis in higher education sector, Prof. Nayyar said the period since 2014 had witnessed a pronounced increase in political intrusion and government intervention in the universities, which had gathered further momentum since 2019. 'There is a quiet crisis in higher education in India that runs deep. It is visible. The educational opportunities for school-leavers are simply not enough, and those that exist are not good enough. The pockets of excellence are outcomes of an enormous reservoir of talent and Darwinian selection processes. It does little for those with average abilities or without social opportunities,' the eminent economist said. The challenges confronting higher education in India appear to need a massive expansion to educate much larger numbers, without diluting academic standards, Prof. Nayyar said. 'Indeed, it is just as important to raise average quality. What is more, in terms of access, it needs to be far more inclusive, and it needs some institutions, each with a certain critical mass that are exemplars of excellence at par with the best in the world. Such excellence, I am sad to say, is largely missing, while it is diminishing rapidly in the few pockets where it existed. Indeed, in terms of world university rankings, which have become the fashion in recent years, our performance is most disappointing,' he said. Political intervention and encroachment by the government gathered momentum after the General Election in 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an absolute majority in Parliament, and Mr. Modi assumed office as Prime Minister. 'The past five years since 2019 have witnessed a rapid acceleration in this process. It has now reached a stage where the future of public universities in India is at a grave risk, if not already over the edge of the precipice,' he said, adding that the decline of public universities in India had been an inevitable consequence of this encroachment. 'There are two apparent manifestations of this unfolding reality. First, there is a visible emergence of institutionalised control mechanisms that design what universities can or cannot do. Second, appointments in universities, which would be the domain of universities alone, are increasingly influenced, if not shaped by the political motivation, and the invisible hands of governments in office,' he said. 'Now, even admission processes have been centralised by the National Testing Agency. The rationale for such a centralisation is questionable and flawed. Why the need for centralisation? There is no transparency, there is no accountability in this process,' Prof. Nayyar said. The selection process for faculty members was manipulated through a purposive selection of subject experts, mostly not qualified for the role, he said. 'It would be no exaggeration to state that faculty appointments at universities and undergraduate colleges are increasingly driven by RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) ideology, and BJP preferences in politics rather than talent or merit,' Prof. Nayyar said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Raj HC dismisses petitions for NEET UG 2025 re-examination
Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court Monday rejected petitions seeking a re-examination of NEET UG 2025, emphasising that the interests of 2.2 million candidates cannot be compromised for a small number of affected students. The bench of Justice Sameer Jain dismissed the petitions filed by Roshan Yadav and others who sought either a re-conduct of the examination or compensation through bonus marks. The petitioners raised concerns about power outages affecting 15 exam centers in Sikar district, impacting approximately 5,390 candidates. According to the petitions, the nationwide examination was conducted across 552 cities in India and 14 international centres. In Sikar district alone, 98 exam centres accommodated 31,787 candidates. The affected centers allegedly experienced power disruptions lasting between five to 28 minutes, which the petitioners claimed hampered their ability to complete the examination effectively. The petitioners argued that the district collector failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply, which was essential for maintaining a conducive examination environment. However, state govt advocate MS Raghav countered that only 0.5% of total candidates filed complaints, with power outages being attributed to unexpected storms and adverse weather conditions. "A committee investigation revealed no discrepancy in examination duration between affected and normal centres and no substantial harm was caused to the petitioners," Raghav stated during the proceedings.
