Court’s Decision:
The Supreme Court dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Talluri Srikar (a minor represented by his father) seeking a re-examination for the NEET (UG)-2024 exam. The petitioner argued that his performance in the examination was affected because he was not allowed to carry a handkerchief to manage his medical condition, hyperhidrosis. The Court upheld the High Court’s judgment, which denied the request, stating that there was no material impact on the petitioner’s ability to complete the exam and that the petitioner was not entitled to a re-examination like the 1563 candidates who faced delays due to errors in question paper distribution.
Facts of the Case:
Talluri Srikar, suffering from hyperhidrosis (a condition causing excessive sweating of the palms and soles), claimed he was denied permission to carry a handkerchief during the NEET-2024 examination. As a result, he was unable to wipe his palms effectively, leading to difficulties in filling out the OMR sheet and affecting his performance. He sought a re-examination, similar to the 1563 candidates who were allowed a re-test due to delays caused by incorrect question papers at other centers.
High Court’s Ruling:
The High Court had dismissed the petitioner’s request for a re-examination, noting that the petitioner had been allotted the full exam time and his case was not comparable to the candidates who had suffered time loss due to question paper issues. The court also observed that the absence of a handkerchief would not have significantly affected the petitioner’s performance, as he could have wiped his palms on his clothes.
Supreme Court’s Reasoning:
The Supreme Court agreed with the High Court’s conclusions, emphasizing the following:
- The petitioner was given the full allotted exam time, and therefore his case was different from those who faced delays.
- The court noted that the nature of the examination (filling OMR sheets) required minimal use of hands compared to written exams, and wiping palms on clothing would have sufficed.
- The court also stressed that individual grievances in public exams should be approached with caution, as they can delay the finalization of results, affecting the broader public interest.
Conclusion:
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, concluding that the denial of the handkerchief did not materially affect the petitioner’s performance in the NEET-2024 exam. All related applications were also disposed of.
