The dismissal by the Supreme Court of pleas seeking re-examination for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has drawn mixed responses. While acknowledging localised leaks in Hazaribagh and Patna, the SC ruled out a systemic breach of the exam’s integrity, determining that these incidents did not compromise the overall fairness of the premier examination. However, the decision to uphold the results has sparked widespread debate, with many students and parents expressing disappointment.
Despite improving her score to 650 in her second attempt, 20-year-old Pragya's NEET rank only marginally improved from 30,061 to 30,027. Expressing frustration over the apparent contradiction between the court's previous stance on investigating even minor paper leaks and its recent verdict, Pragya said, “I have now resolved to focus on preparing for the NEET-2025 exam without getting distracted by what happened this year.”
Echoing similar concerns, Nimisha, a Chandigarh-based aspirant, whose NEET score doubled in her second attempt and her rank went up added, “The SC earlier said that even if there is 0.01 per cent negligence, it should be thoroughly dealt with. But now, the court has ruled out re-exam.” With government medical colleges now out of reach, Nimisha is exploring options in private institutions. Another aspirant, Dhruv, who gave his third attempt this year, scored 630 and secured a rank of around 47,000 said, “It is disappointing for a majority of students including myself. I have enrolled in a Master’s programme at JNU. But I feel sad for the students who had high hopes and due to the inflation in the marks, they won't get the college they deserve. I hoped that things would get better but they did not.”
Doctors have meanwhile come out in support of the students. Dr Dhruv Chauhan, the National Council Coordinator of the Indian Medical Association, Junior Doctors Network requested on X, formerly Twitter, to guide and reassure students who are “disappointed, depressed or confused”. Dr. Syed Faizan Ahmad, a resident of King George Medical University, Lucknow, UP also expressed his support and his disappointment with the judgment on X.
There are some, who welcomed the judgement. Says Lekhana from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh who scored 617 marks, “My father and I are satisfied with the judgement as it has already been two-and-a-half months since the exam. I wish to move forward with the counselling process now.” Netizens erupted in protest on platforms like X and YouTube, using the hashtag #NORENEET. Among them was @DiyaYa28, a vocal critic who questioned the lack of concrete evidence supporting claims of "mass cheating" made by those opposing the verdict.
Renowned educator Alakh Pandey of PhysicsWallah, boasting over 12.6 million YouTube subscribers, addressed his students in a live stream on Tuesday. He urged them to accept the final decision and move on, “Jo hona tha woh hogaya, jo result aana tha woh aagaya.”
Shubhangi Garg, in a YouTube short viewed by 8.6k people, highlighted the unfairness of retaking the exam. Despite improving her score from 591 to 669 after dedicated efforts, she questioned the rationale behind punishing honest students. She pointed out the efforts and mental preparation behind preparing for such an important exam and to repeat that within a span of 25 days or so was not a fair solution. “If our education system has failed us, why is that our fault?” “Re-NEET is not at all a fair solution, a fair chance to the children who have worked hard.”
