NEET Records And The 90-Day Deadline: Why A Candidate Has Approached SC

The Supreme Court will hear a NEET-UG 2026 candidate’s petition challenging the authenticity of her OMR answer sheet today after her lawyer sought urgent intervention over fears that the National Testing Agency (NTA) could destroy the original examination records once its retention period expires.

The petition by Gujarat candidate Shreya Chaudhari has brought the NTA’s 90-day “weeding out” rule into focus. She claims she should have received 415 marks more than the score declared by the agency.

Her counsel requested an urgent hearing on Wednesday, arguing that disposal of the disputed sheet could render the challenge ineffective. The court initially proposed Friday but agreed to list the matter for Thursday, LiveLaw reported.

What Does ‘Weeding Out’ Mean?

“Weeding out” is the administrative process of disposing of records after their prescribed retention period ends.

Under the NEET-UG 2026 Information Bulletin, the NTA preserves examination records and documents for 90 days from the declaration of results. The bulletin says they will subsequently be weeded out and that information or correspondence will not be provided or entertained after the stipulated period.

The rule concerns how long examination documents are retained. It does not mean that a candidate’s score expires after 90 days.

When Does The 90-Day Period Begin?

The retention period starts from the date results are declared, rather than the day candidates take the examination.

The NEET-UG re-examination was held on June 21, and results were announced on July 16. Chaudhari’s lawyer cited the approaching retention deadline while seeking an expedited hearing.

According to LiveLaw, counsel told the court: “The OMR Sheet is under question. NTA will destroy it tomorrow because tomorrow is 90th day...”

This was the lawyer’s submission about the risk of disposal, rather than confirmation that the NTA had issued a destruction notice for her particular sheet.

What Is The Dispute In Chaudhari’s Case?

Chaudhari questions the authenticity of the Optical Mark Recognition, or OMR, answer sheet attributed to her by the NTA. Her claim therefore concerns the underlying examination document, alongside the marks recorded against her name.

During proceedings in the Gujarat High Court, the agency produced the original sheet in a sealed cover. It was opened in court and shown to Chaudhari and her advocate.

The High Court found no material discrepancy sufficient to displace the NTA’s record. A Division Bench dismissed her appeal on October 12, after which she approached the Supreme Court.

The examination itself was a re-test, conducted after the original May 3 NEET-UG examination was scrapped following a question-paper leak.

Why Is Preserving The Original Sheet Important?

An OMR sheet contains the responses marked by a candidate and provides the basis for assessing those answers against the final answer key.

When a dispute concerns whether the sheet belongs to a candidate or has been altered, the original document becomes relevant to examining that claim. Its disposal could limit the evidence available for further scrutiny.

The NTA bulletin also provides for scanned OMR sheets and scorecards to be accessible through DigiLocker, subject to candidates’ consent. That digital access is separate from retention of the original physical document.

Does Filing A Case Automatically Preserve The Records?

Officials cited by The Indian Express said that submitting a complaint, filing an RTI application or approaching a court does not, by itself, guarantee that the NTA will suspend disposal.

However, the 90-day rule does not establish that records must be destroyed regardless of judicial directions. A specific court order requiring preservation would address the continued availability of documents relevant to a pending dispute.