NEET and the state’s duty to minimise harm

The article discusses the Supreme Court's recent jurisprudence, particularly in Sukdeb Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2025), which recognized student mental health as part of the right to life under Article 21 and established institutional responsibility for student well-being. It argues that this principle, highlighted by events like the NEET paper leak, should extend to all state-controlled processes for higher education and public employment. The state has a positive duty to create fair systems that minimize foreseeable harm, rather than merely resolving individual controversies, to prevent recurring crises and ensure constitutional obligations are met.