Supreme Court Asks NEET-UG Candidate Claiming Score Dropped From 603 to 32 to Approach High Court

The Supreme Court has asked a NEET-UG 2026 candidate, who alleged that his score was reduced from 603 marks to just 32 without any explanation, to approach the appropriate High Court for relief.

The candidate had moved the Supreme Court directly under Article 32 of the Constitution, raising concerns over the alleged discrepancy in his NEET-UG result. However, the court allowed him to withdraw his petition and granted him the liberty to approach the High Court with his grievance.

The Supreme Court's order does not determine whether the alleged change in marks actually took place or whether there was an error in the candidate's result. The matter will now have to be examined by the appropriate High Court based on the records and evidence presented by the petitioner.

The case has emerged amid wider concerns raised by several NEET-UG 2026 candidates over alleged discrepancies between their OMR responses and final scorecards. Some aspirants have sought clarification from the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the calculation of their marks and the evaluation of their answer sheets.

In one such case, Maharashtra candidate Soham Gawte approached the Bombay High Court, claiming that his OMR responses indicated a score of around 522 marks, while the scorecard issued by the NTA showed only 95 marks.

The issue has also generated widespread discussion on social media, where several candidates have shared images of their OMR sheets, answer keys and scorecards while alleging errors in evaluation or marks calculation.

However, the NTA has cautioned candidates against relying on documents circulating online without verification. The agency has warned that some OMR sheets and scorecards shared on social media may have been digitally manipulated or generated using artificial intelligence.

Against this backdrop, the latest petition has drawn attention because of the substantial difference alleged by the candidate, who claimed that his marks were initially displayed as 603 before being shown as 32.

While the Supreme Court has not commented on the merits of the allegation, the case adds to the continuing scrutiny surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination and result process.

Candidates and parents have increasingly sought greater transparency regarding the evaluation process, calculation of marks, OMR records and discrepancies in final scorecards. The High Court proceedings, if pursued by the petitioner, may provide an opportunity for the alleged discrepancy to be examined through official records.

The development once again underlines the importance of transparent evaluation and clear grievance-redressal mechanisms in high-stakes competitive examinations such as NEET-UG, where even a small discrepancy can significantly affect a student's academic and professional future.