Six NEET aspirants have approached the Supreme Court alleging discrepancies between the answers they marked on their original OMR sheets and the scanned copies uploaded by the National Testing Agency (NTA), claiming the mismatch could adversely affect their medical admissions.

The petition comes at a crucial stage as the NEET counselling process is already underway, prompting the students to seek an urgent hearing before the apex court.

Supreme Court Agrees to List Matter

The matter was mentioned before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohan.

Appearing for the petitioners, counsel urged the court to hear the matter on priority, stating that only six students were involved and that counselling had already begun.

Responding to the request, the Chief Justice said, "We will list it," indicating that the matter would be taken up for hearing.

Students Allege OMR Discrepancies

According to the petition, the candidates found differences between the responses they had marked in the examination and those reflected in the scanned OMR sheets uploaded by the NTA.

The petitioners contend that the alleged discrepancies have resulted in lower scores, potentially affecting their eligibility for admission to medical colleges.

Their counsel informed the court that all six students had expected scores in the range of 600 to 650 marks, making the alleged errors significant in determining their final ranks and admission prospects.

Alleged Response from NTA

The students claim they repeatedly contacted the NTA through emails and also visited its office seeking correction of the alleged discrepancies.

However, according to the petition, their representations were not acted upon.

The counsel further alleged that an NTA official told the students, "Go to the Supreme Court. We don't bother about this," after they raised concerns regarding the OMR sheets.

The NTA has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.

Issue Surfaces During Counselling

The plea assumes significance as medical admissions based on NEET scores are currently in progress across the country.

The petitioners have argued that any delay in resolving the issue could cause irreversible prejudice to their admission opportunities.

NEET Reforms Under Judicial Scrutiny

The latest petition comes amid broader judicial scrutiny of the NEET examination process following the 2026 paper leak controversy.

The Supreme Court has recently emphasised the need for systemic and institutional reforms within the National Testing Agency to improve transparency and examination integrity.

Earlier, the NTA had released scanned copies of candidates' OMR answer sheets and provided an objection window before announcing the final results.

Meanwhile, similar disputes are also pending before other courts. The Bombay High Court is hearing a petition alleging discrepancies between expected and declared NEET scores, while the Delhi High Court is examining a case in which a student claimed that his score changed multiple times on the NTA portal.

The Supreme Court's decision in the present matter could have implications for the affected candidates as the counselling process continues.