India: NEET-PG 2025 postponed; exam to be held in single shift as per SC order
New Delhi: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Monday announced the postponement of the NEET-PG 2025 examination, following a directive from the Supreme Court to conduct the exam in a single shift while ensuring transparency and security.
In compliance with the court's order, the NBEMS stated that NEET-PG 2025, initially scheduled for June 15, will now be held at a later date to allow for logistical adjustments.
The board emphasised that the postponement is aimed at expanding the number of test centres and upgrading the required infrastructure to meet the court's standards for fairness and security.
The NBEMS order read, "NBEMS will conduct NEET-PG 2025 in a single shift. NEET-PG 2025, scheduled to be held on 15.06.2025, has been postponed to arrange for more Test Centres and required infrastructure. The revised date for the conduct of NEET-PG 2025 shall be notified shortly."
The announcement comes in response to the Supreme Court's order in the case of Writ Petition No. 456/2025 (Aditi & Ors vs National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences & Ors), where the apex court directed the authorities to make necessary arrangements for conducting the NEET-PG 2025.
"We, accordingly, direct the respondents to make necessary arrangements for holding the NEET-PG 2025 examination in one shift, duly ensuring that complete transparency is maintained and secure centres are identified and commissioned," said the bench in an order.
The NEET-PG exam is a key gateway for admission to postgraduate medical courses across India. Conducting the exam in a single shift is expected to reduce disparities in difficulty levels and improve the overall integrity of the examination process.
The Supreme Court on May 30 had directed the National Board of Examination (NBE) to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) 2025 in a single shift.
A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Kumar, and NK Anjaria rejected the decision of NBE to hold the exam in two shifts, saying it creates "arbitrariness".
The bench said it will be open for NBE to apply for extension of time if they find that the arrangements can't be done by 15 June, the scheduled date of exam.
"Holding the exam in two shifts leads to arbitrariness and cannot give a level playing field. The question papers in the two shifts can never be of the same difficulty level... The examining body ought to have considered making arrangements for holding the examination in one shift," the order stated.
As the counsel of NBE said that to hold exam in one shift, 900 extra centres will have to be arranged, which is not possible before June 15, the bench said, "We are not ready to accept that in 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."
The counsel further said that NBE has even very limited centres to hold the exam in one shift.
"Infrastructure for Wi-Fi, good computer safety security, etc. All possible problems have been considered and then this solution (of two shifts) has been given," added the counsel.
The counsel said that out of over 2.5 lakh candidates, only a handful of them have approached the court against the NBE decision to hold the exam in two shifts.
The top court was hearing petitions challenging the conduct of NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts.
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