Vrinda Goel vs National Testing Agency (Nta)

$~41
* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
% Date of Decision: 23.04.2026
+ W.P.(C) 5512/2026 & CM APPL. 27020/2026
VRINDA GOEL .....Petitioner
Through: Mr. Rahul Bajaj and Ms. Sarah,
Advocates.
versus
NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (NTA) .....Respondent
Through: Mr. Sanjay Khanna, Standing
Counsel with Ms. Pragya Bhushan,
Ms. Vilakshana Dayma, Ms. Anshu
Kumari and Mr. Saurabh Pandey,
Advocates.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TEJAS KARIA
TEJAS KARIA, J. ( Oral )
1. The present Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the
Constitution of India, 1950 seeking, inter alia, direction to the Respondent
for forthwith declaring the Petitioner’s JEE-Mains result.
2. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that:
2.1 The Petitioner is a person with 55% Autism Spectrum Disorder
(“ ASD ”) as per her disability certificate and Unique Disability ID
(“ UDID ”). The Petitioner attempted to register for JEE-Mains
Session 2 Examination however, the system did not accept the
disability certificated dated 07.01.2026 issued to the Petitioner as
the Petitioner had registered as a General category candidate for
JEE-Mains Session 1 Examination in November, 2025 as she did
not have the disability certificate at that time.
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 1 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

2.2 The Petitioner was not successful in changing the status of her
candidature for JEE-Mains Session 2 Examination from General
category to Persons with Disabilities (“ PwD ”) status.
Accordingly, the Petitioner visited the Respondent’s exam centre,
however, the officials of the Respondent refused to cooperate and
were insensitive about the Petitioner’s disability.
2.3 Therefore, the Petitioner approached the Court of the Chief
Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (“ CCPD ”) through
email dated 28.02.2026 and vide complaint dated 07.03.2026. The
CCPD conducted a hearing on 18.03.2026, wherein the
Respondent submitted that the Petitioner had initially registered
for General category with no PwD status and because the
disability certificate was a manual paper-based document rather
than a UDID card, the Respondent was required to perform due
diligence to verify its authenticity. The Respondent further
submitted before CCPD that it had sent emails to the CMO’s
office and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (“ DEPwD ”) on 16.03.2026. It was assured by the
Respondent that the Petitioner’s category would be manually
updated from ‘General’ to ‘General-PwD’ immediately upon
receiving confirmation of the disability certificate’s genuineness.
2.4 Vide order dated 25.03.2026, CCPD directed the Respondent to
complete the verification process within a week. In the meantime,
the Petitioner obtained UDID, which was sent to the Respondent
vide email dated 23.03.2026.
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 2 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

2.5 On 30.03.2026, the Petitioner was issued an admit card
erroneously indicating her disability as being less than 40%,
which was not in line with the disability certificate and UDID.
Accordingly, the Petitioner sent an email dated 31.03.2026
seeking rectification of the admit card.
2.6 On 01.04.2026, i.e. on the previous date of the Examination, the
Petitioner was issued an admit card indicating 55% ASD.
Accordingly, the Petitioner sat for the JEE-Mains Examination on
02.04.2026.
2.7 On 20.04.2026, the result of the Petitioner was withheld with a
vague and cryptic remark ‘Result Later’. Therefore, the Petitioner
wrote an email dated 20.04.2026 to enquire about the withholding
of her result, however, there was no response.
2.8 The registration process for JEE-Advanced Examination
commenced on 23.04.2026 and will conclude on 02.05.2026.
2.9 Hence, the Petitioner filed the present Petition seeking the
direction to the Respondent for declaring the Petitioner’s result
for JEE-Mains Examination within a time frame to be fixed by
this Court.
3. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that the Petitioner’s
result cannot be withheld without any justification as the Respondent cannot
act in an arbitrary manner in absence of any wrongdoing by the Petitioner
that would warrant the withholding of her result. Further, the Petitioner is
kept in dark and not given any justification or an opportunity of hearing for
withholding her result.
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 3 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

4. It was further submitted by the learned Counsel for the Petitioner that
the Respondent has completed all the verification steps and only upon
conclusion of the same, the admit card was issued to the Petitioner on
01.04.2026. Therefore, the Petitioner’s disability was beyond doubt. It was
submitted on behalf of the Petitioner that if the result is not declared, the
Petitioner will not be able to register for JEE-Advanced Examination, which
may result in causing grave prejudice to her.
5. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that after filing the
Writ Petition, the Petitioner has received an email dated 22.04.2026, which
states as under:
“The NTA has successfully conducted the JEE (Main)-2026 Session
2 from 02 to 08 April 2026 at different Centres located in various
cities throughout the country and 15 cities outside India.
This is with reference to change of sub-category from
General/OBC/EWS to PwD for JEE (Main) 2026 Session 2.
A PwD Committee meeting has been scheduled on 23 April 2026
from 03:15 PM onwards to review and verify the disability
certificate(s)/UDID cards.
You are therefore, requested to make yourself available for the
online meeting at the scheduled time and to remain present in the
meeting lobby until your turn, if required by the Committee.
The meeting link will be shared separately accordingly.”
6. A copy of the above email was handed over during the course of
hearing and was directed to be taken on record.
7. As per this email, the Petitioner was called upon to attend an online
meeting on 23.04.2026 at 03:15pm before the PwD Committee of the
Respondent for review and verification of the disability certificate(s) / UDID
cards. Accordingly, the matter was passed over and taken up at 04:30pm.
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 4 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

8. When the matter was again taken up at 04:30pm, the learned Counsel
for the Petitioner submitted that the Petitioner appeared before the PwD
Committee of the Respondent and provided the clarifications sought.
9. The learned Counsel for the Respondent submitted that as per Clause
4.2.4(5) of the Information Bulletin for JEE-Mains Examination, the benefit
of reservation is granted to the candidates subject to verification of
documents and if it is discovered at any stage that a candidate has used a
false / fake / incorrect document or has furnished false, incorrect or
incomplete information, in order to avail the benefit of reservation, then
such a candidate shall be excluded from all admission processes. It is further
provided in Clause 4.2.4(5) that in case such a candidate has already been
given admission, the admission shall stand cancelled.
10. It was further submitted on behalf of the Respondent that Clause 5.5.3
of the Information Bulletin for JEE-Mains Examination provides that the
result of JEE-Mains Examination will be cancelled and will not be declared
for the candidates, who indulge in Unfair Means Practices. Accordingly, the
Respondent is entitled to withhold the result of the Petitioner until the
verification of the documents submitted by the Petitioner.
11. The learned Counsel for the Respondent submitted that the UDID
card issued to the Petitioner contains mark ‘T’, which indicates that the said
disability is temporary in nature and, therefore, UDID requires further examination.
12. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that ASD disability
is curable and, therefore, the UDID has been issued only for 5 years by
mentioning mark ‘T’ on UDID, however that does not make UDID invalid,
and the Respondent has wrongly put the result of the Petitioner in abeyance.
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 5 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

13. Having considered the submissions made on behalf of the Petitioner
as well as the Respondent, it is observed that the Respondent had issued the
Admit Card to the Petitioner after receipt of UDID. Further, the Petitioner
has already appeared before the PwD Committee of the Respondent for
verification of UDID card.
14. Clauses 4.2.4(5) and 5.5.3 of the Information Bulletin for JEE-Mains
Examination provide for cancellation of the result as well as admission in
case a candidate in case the candidate it is discovered at any stage that a
candidate has used a false / fake / incorrect document or has furnished false,
incorrect or incomplete information or indulged in Unfair Means Practices.
15. The Respondent has not found any such instance with the Petitioner
and, therefore, there is no justification for withholding the result of the
Petitioner. The Respondent already has power to take recourse, if it is found
that the Petitioner has used a false / fake / incorrect document or provided
false or incorrect information and has indulged in Unfair Means Practices by
cancelling the result or the admission, as the case may be. Therefore, reasons
provided for withholding of the result of the Petitioner by the Respondent on
the ground of verification of the documents and the UDID card being
temporary are unsustainable and cannot be accepted as the verification of the
documents is already carried out and the Respondent cannot question the
UDID card issued by Government of India. If the Respondent finds at any
stage that the documents submitted by the Petitioner were fake, incomplete
or not genuine or the Petitioner had indulged in Unfair Means Practices, the
Petitioner is entitled to take action for cancellation of the Result and
Admission, if already granted, of the Petitioner. Hence, no prejudice would
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 6 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45

be caused to the Petitioner if the result of the Petitioner is declared subject to
the verification of the documents submitted by the Petitioner. However, if
the result is not declared in time and if the Petitioner is successful in
examination and all documents submitted by the Petitioner are found to be
genuine, the Petitioner would suffer irreparable loss as she would not be able
to participate in JEE-Advanced Examination, for which the last date for
registration is on 02.05.2026.
16. Accordingly, the Respondent is directed to forthwith declare the result
of the Petitioner latest by 06:00 pm on 27.04.2026. In case the Respondent
finds any discrepancy in the documents after verification or it is found that
the Petitioner has indulged in Unfair Means Practices, the Respondent is at
liberty to take action in accordance with Clauses 4.2.4(5) and 5.5.3 of the
Information Bulletin for JEE-Mains Examination. Needless to observe that
if any such action is taken by the Respondent after declaring the result of the
Petitioner, all rights and contentions of the Petitioner to seek remedy against
any such action, as may be available to the Petitioner in accordance with
law, are kept open.
17. In view of the above, the present Writ Petition is allowed with a
direction to the Respondent to declare / publish the result of the Petitioner
for JEE-Mains Session 2 Examination conducted on 02.04.2026 by 06:00
pm on 27.04.2026. There shall be no order as to costs.
18. The Petition and the pending Application stand disposed of.
TEJAS KARIA, J
APRIL 23, 2026/sms
W.P.(C) 5512/2026 Page 7 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Signed By:NEELAM
SHARMA
Signing Date:27.04.2026
10:38:45