The Madras High Court has permitted a NEET aspirant to wear a diaper during the NEET UG 2024 examination on May 5, 2024. The aspirant with special needs has also been allowed to change the diaper during the exam if needed. This permit was passed by Justice G R Swaminathan.
The 19-year-old is presently receiving therapy for neurogenic bladder, spectrum disorder, LETM, and NMO, according to Times of India. According to her doctor's certification, she is unable to regulate her bladder and requires constant diaper changes. When she was not granted permission to sit in the examination hall wearing a diaper and to change it once or twice depending on her condition during the NEET-UG examination by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Medical Commission. She then appealed to the High Court.
TOI reported that during the hearing Justice Swaminathan said, "The petitioner's apprehension could not have been dismissed as misplaced or unfounded. NEET is held all over the country every year. We read that the mandatory frisking to which the candidates are subjected to is sometimes taken to absurd limits. In Kerala, once a girl was asked to remove her innerwear. Girls in particular face the brunt."
The judge stated that she required a bio-break while writing the examination due to her biological condition, in line with the terms of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. She will not be permitted to take the test if the petitioner's requests for facilities are turned down. That would result in discrimination, which is prohibited by the Constitution's Article 14. The girl's plea was accepted by the judge, who noted that the NTA had granted her request and committed to providing the examiner with appropriate instructions.
