The Delhi High Court has sought the National Testing Agency (NTA) to provide its stance on a plea submitted by a 19-year-old aspiring National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) candidate. The candidate is seeking additional marks due to a torn Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet.

Justice C Hari Shankar has issued a notice to both the NTA and the central government regarding the petition and has instructed the preservation of the candidate's original OMR sheet.

This sheet, a crucial document for exams, contains personal details like the candidate's name and date of birth.

"List for disposal on July 8, 2024. The respondents are directed to preserve the original OMR sheets relating to the petitioner in this case," said the court in an order passed on May 20.

The petitioner, represented by advocate Tanvi Dubey, recounted her experience during the NEET UG 2024 exam held on May 5. She stated that upon examination, she discovered vertical tears on the seal cover, the first page of the physics question paper, and the OMR sheet. Although a replacement question paper and OMR sheet were eventually provided after a 30-minute delay, she was granted only an additional 10 minutes to complete her examination.

The petition alleges that the petitioner endured hardship due to the conduct of the NTA. She asserts that the delay in providing a fresh OMR sheet significantly affected her examination process. Despite having attempted 60 questions on the original question paper, the petitioner claims she couldn't properly focus and concentrate on the new set of questions within the limited time frame

"Petitioner is severely prejudiced because of the act of Respondent No.1, as she was not treated in parity with the other candidates due to the events that transpired inside the examination hall. She was not given an occasion to complete the paper in the same manner as the other examinees, as her OMR sheet was torn," the petition said.