Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Gauhati High Court Gives NEET Candidate Relief After Power Cut
A student passed the NEET-UG 2026 exam and hoped to use a special quota for children of defence personnel.
Her father is serving in the Army.
She lives in a remote village in Assam.
Heavy rain caused the village to lose electricity for several days.
Because of this, she said she could not learn about or attend the document-checking appointment.
She asked the Gauhati High Court for help.
The court allowed her to explain her situation to Assam’s medical education authority.
The authority must consider her request, but it must also protect students already selected.
The Gauhati High Court allowed a NEET-UG 2026 candidate to submit a fresh representation after missing quota document verification.
The student said heavy rain caused a power and internet outage in her remote Assam village from August 10 to 13.
She had sought consideration for MBBS admission under the ex-serviceman and serving defence personnel quota because her father is an Army Subedar.
The court directed the Director of Medical Education, Assam, to consider her representation sympathetically and facilitate document verification.
The court said any decision must not prejudice candidates already shortlisted under the quota or disrupt the structured admission process.
- Who
- A NEET-UG 2026-qualified student whose father is a serving Army Subedar, along with Assam medical education authorities.
- What
- The Gauhati High Court allowed the student to file a fresh representation seeking verification for the ex-serviceman/serving defence personnel quota.
- When
- The order was issued on August 18; the missed verification deadline was August 12, and the representation was to be filed by 11 a.m. on August 19.
- Where
- The student lives in a remote rural area of Assam, and the matter was heard by the Gauhati High Court.
- Why
- She said heavy rain caused an electricity and internet outage from August 10 to 13, preventing her from accessing information and attending verification.
Student’s account
Authorities’ position
Reason for missing verification
Student’s account
The student said her remote Assam village had no electricity or internet access during heavy rain from August 10 to 13, making it impossible to access the notice or attend verification.
Authorities’ position
The authorities argued that the notice had been complied with by the other special-quota claimants and that the student’s explanation did not require the court to accept her claim.
Repeating the verification process
Student’s account
The student sought an opportunity to submit documents and be considered under the defence personnel quota, citing a similar case in which relief was granted.
Authorities’ position
The authorities said verification had already been completed with Sainik Board members and a suitable-candidates list had been prepared and published, so repeating the process would not be permissible.
Effect on admissions
Student’s account
The student asked for an opportunity to have her documents verified without losing consideration because of circumstances beyond her control.
Authorities’ position
The court noted that directly ordering consideration at that stage could disrupt the structured MBBS admission process and therefore required that existing shortlisted candidates not be prejudiced.
- Court
- Gauhati High Court
- Exam
- NEET-UG 2026
- Admission sought
- MBBS
- Quota
- Ex-serviceman/serving defence personnel
- Missed verification date
- August 12
- Reported outage
- No electricity in the student’s area from August 10 to 13
- Authority directed to act
- Director of Medical Education, Assam