Bombay HC Permits Girl To Reappear For NEET-UG Exam With The Manipur Violence-Affected Students

The Bombay High Court recently permitted an 18-year-old girl to reappear the National Entrance Examination Test Under Graduate (NEET-UG), which is going to be conducted for students from strife-torn Manipur.

The permission was granted because she was unable to complete the exam paper on her first attempt due to a broken wrist.

A vacation bench comprising Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Neela Gokhale heard the plea filed by Dhanashree Jagatap, who sought permission for a retest. Jagatap explained that she had arrived at the NEET-UG examination center on May 7 but fell to the ground due to overcrowding in the queue, resulting in the dislocation of her right wrist joint.

According to Jagatap’s plea, she was taken to a nearby hospital after falling during the NEET-UG examination and was subsequently brought back to the center where a writer was assigned to her. However, despite starting the exam late, she was not given additional time to complete the paper, resulting in her inability to attempt the Physics section. Seeking a directive from the National Testing Agency, Jagatap’s plea requested permission for her to retake the exam. She explained that while the NEET-UG examination is typically held once a year, this year, due to the sudden outbreak of violence in Manipur, a separate NEET-UG 2023 examination is being conducted for students from that state. The re-examination for Manipur students will take place on June 6 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

During the hearing of the plea, the Union government expressed its willingness to allow Jagatap to retake the exam on June 6, with the condition that she would not consider the marks obtained in the May 7 examination. Accepting this proposition, the court ruled that Jagatap would be permitted to participate in the NEET-UG 2023 examination alongside Manipur students at a Bengaluru center. The court also directed the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to ensure her smooth participation in the said examination.

“The petitioner shall file an undertaking within a week from today that she shall not rely upon the attempt she had given on 7th May 2023 for the NEET-UG 2023 examination,” the order stated.