Fairness in examination protocols mandates that interruptions affecting a candidate's performance must be addressed through compensatory measures such as grace marks or re-examinations.

JUDGMENT :

VIKAS MAHAJAN, J.

1. The grievance articulated in the present petition is that the petitioner was subjected to repeated interruptions and harassment mid-examination for re-verification of her identity credentials with respect to her Aadhaar, thereby leading to loss of crucial exam time while she was taking her National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) – 2025 Examination [NEET (UG) 2025]. The said exam was conducted by respondent no.2/NTA on 04.05.2025 at the Examination Centre located in M.M.H.V. Inter College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, i.e. the venue of respondent no.5.

2. The brief facts, as borne out from the petition are that the petitioner had registered herself for appearing in NEET (UG) 2025, scheduled to be conducted on 04.05.2025. As part of the registration process, her identity was authenticated through her Aadhaar Card, which served as the mode of verification.

3. On the day of the examination i.e. 04.05.2025, petitioner claims to have reached the examination centre at 01:00 PM as per the instructions published in the Information Bulletin issued by NTA. It is stated that the petitioner had arrived within the reporting time carrying her Admit Card, Aadhaar Card and other valid identityproofs.

4. However, at the time of biometric authentication, her biometric data could not be successfully captured at the entrance due to a technical malfunction of the biometric scanner, which was not due to any fault on the part of the petitioner, as other candidates also faced similar issues.

5. It is stated in the petition that petitioner was not allowed to enter the examination hall for nearly 90 minutes from the time of her arrival at 01:00 PM owing to the malfunctioning biometric scanner. It is only after some signal jammers, allegedly interfering with the biometric scanner, were disabled and the biometric system finally recorded petitioner’s credentials, whereafter she was allowed entryinto the examination hall.

6. Furthermore, it has been alleged that during the examination, officials of respondent no.2 repeatedly approached the petitioner to complete the biometric authentication process again, causing further interruptions and resulting in a significant loss of examination time. No additional or compensatory time was provided to the petitioner for the time lost due to the actions of the respondents.

7. Subsequently, after the examination, petitioner issued a legal notice dated 21.05.2025 addressed to the respondents, enclosing therein photographic evidence, an affidavit, and contemporaneous witness statements attesting to the incidents at the examination centre. However, despite receipt of the said notice, it is alleged that the respondents have neither acknowledged the grievance nor taken anyremedial action.

8. In the above factual backdrop, present petition has been filed seeking inter alia directions to respondent no.2/NTA to conduct re-examination of the petitioner.

9. Having regard to the grievance articulated in the present petition, this Court deemed it fit to call for the relevant CCTV footage of the Examination Centre at the venue of respondent no.5 pertaining to the petitioner and the same was viewed by this Court in the presence of both the learned counsels for th