Provide answer sheet to NEET candidate, HC tells NTA

Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the New Delhi-based National Testing Agency (NTA) to provide the original answer sheet to a candidate who was unsuccessful in the recently held National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test.

Justice R Suresh Kumar gave the direction recently, disposing a writ petition from Nilgiris district-based Chrisma Victoria. The petitioner prayed for a direction to the NTA to consider her minor daughter's representation made to authorities last month, seeking to show her the original Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheet.

The counsel for the authorities submitted that a copy of the OMR sheet can be provided to the petitioner for her perusal. The petitioner would however have to go to the office of the NTA at Noida. The Agency is ready and willing to show the original answer sheet for her perusal. The counsel for the petitioner told the judge that she is ready to visit the Agency's office for this purpose.

The judge disposed of the petition after directing the NTA to fix a date for the petitioner's visit to the Agency's office within 10 days and to intimate in advance through email, the appointed date.

It is open to the petitioner along with her father/guardian to travel to the NTA office and the Agency should show the original answer sheet to the petitioner, who can peruse the same, the judge added.