The top court refused to accept the rationale offered by NBEMS and said a single-shift format is essential for fairness
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Kumar, and N K Anjaria has directed the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to conduct NEET-PG 2025 in a single shift, overturning NBEMS’s plan to hold the exam in two shifts on June 15.
KEY POINTS FROM THE COURT’S RULING:
Uniformity & fairness:
The Court emphasized that holding the exam in two shifts introduces arbitrariness due to inevitable differences in question paper difficulty. It stated that normalization should be an exception, not a yearly routine, as perfect equivalence between two sets of papers is not possible.
Technological capability:
The bench rejected NBEMS’ justification that there weren’t enough exam centres with adequate facilities, citing India’s technological advancement and the ability to conduct such a national-level test in a single shift.
Comparison with NEET-UG:
The Court noted that even NEET-UG, with significantly more candidates, is held in one shift, questioning why NEET-PG could not follow the same model.
Online format under scrutiny:
The bench also questioned the need for conducting NEET-PG online, asking, “Why can’t you do it straightforwardly? It’s just a multiple-choice exam.”
Time for adjustment:
The Court acknowledged that there are more than two weeks left before the exam and directed NBEMS to make the necessary arrangements and ensure transparency and security at the centres.
NBEMS RESPONSE:
Senior Advocate Maninder Acharya, appearing for NBEMS, argued:
- The two-shift format was necessary due to limited online exam centres with adequate infrastructure.
- Online format helps in reducing human intervention and ensures security.
However, the Court remained firm, concluding that a single-shift format is essential for fairness and must be implemented for the June 15 exam.
