Hold NEET-PG 2025 exam in one shift, orders SC

The Supreme Court on Friday directed that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination scheduled on June 15 be conducted in a single shift instead of two.

A Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, however, said, “It will be open for the respondents to apply for extension of time if they (the authorities concerned) find that the arrangements can’t be done by 15 June."

"We are not ready to accept that in the entire country… and considering the technological advancements in this country, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination and one shift,” said the Bench, which also included Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria.

Noting that holding examination in two shifts created "arbitrariness", the Bench said, "Any two question papers can never be said to be having an identical level of difficulty or ease.”

“Last year it may have been held in two shifts in the facts and circumstances of that stage. But the examining body ought to have considered making arrangements for holding the examination in one shift," it said.

The top court directed the authorities concerned to ensure that complete transparency was maintained during the examination process.

The order came on a petition challenging a notification on holding the NEET-PG 2025 examination in two shifts.

More than 2.4 lakh candidates are expected to appear in NEET-PG 2025 Examination scheduled to be held on June 15. The results will be declared by July 15.

The Bench had on May 5 sought responses from the NBE, National Medical Council, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the plea.

Recently, the top court delivered a verdict issuing a slew of directions to stop seat-blocking in NEET-PG counselling and directed publication of raw scores, answer keys and normalisation formulae of the exam.

The petition challenging the conduct of NEET-PG examination in two shifts, contended that it has the potential for unfairness due to varying difficulty levels between shifts. It also sought a direction to the NBE to conduct the exam in a single shift to maintain "just, fair, reasonable and equitable" grounds of competition for all the candidates.