Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, May 30: In a landmark order on Friday, the Supreme Court directed that the NEET-PG 2025 entrance examination, scheduled for June 15, be conducted in a single shift across the country to ensure fairness and transparency.

A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath, along with justices Sanjay Kumar and N V Anjaria, said holding the exam in two shifts creates "arbitrariness" and compromises equality among candidates. “Any two question papers can never be said to have an identical level of difficulty or ease,” the court observed.

The court rejected the argument of normalisation as a routine solution, stating it should be applied only in exceptional circumstances and not year after year.

The order came in response to petitions challenging the notification for a two-shift NEET-PG 2025 exam. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which conducts the test, cited logistical constraints in conducting the exam in one shift, given the large number of 2.42 lac candidates.

However, the bench firmly stated, “We are not ready to accept that in the entire country, with all our technological advancements, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift.”

The NBEMS had argued that identifying over 900 secure centres within a short time would be difficult and could delay counselling. The court brushed off such concerns and offered the examining body liberty to seek an extension if required, but insisted they make sincere efforts first.

“You’ve already made up your mind that you are not going to be able to do it without even trying. Try at least,” the bench told the NBEMS, urging them to “burn the midnight oil.”
The bench also warned against using delays as a threat, stating, “Don’t give this kind of a threat that the whole year will go and this will happen and that will happen.”

Additionally, the court acknowledged concerns over disclosure of question papers and answer keys and posted that issue for hearing on July 14, after the exams are held.

The court's firm stance comes in light of the high-stakes, rank-based nature of NEET-PG, where even a single mark can affect a candidate’s chance of securing a preferred medical stream.