During a recent hearing on NEET PG 2025, the Supreme Court highlighted that even a single candidate with a valid grievance can seek justice. The Court dismissed the National Board of Examinations (NBE)’s argument that very few candidates opposed the two-shift exam format.
The matter came up before a bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice NV Anjaria. The NBE had planned to conduct the NEET PG 2025 in two shifts, which led to multiple petitions challenging the fairness of this decision.
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Senior Advocate Maninder Acharya, representing the NBE, argued,
“Only a few candidates are before this court out of 2.5 lakh candidates. Other students have no problem with two shifts. They have not come here.”
However, the Court was not convinced. Justice Sanjay Kumar firmly stated,
“Numbers is not important. Even if there is just one candidate with a redressable, legitimate grievance, that is enough. We don't need hundreds or thousands of them. Numbers are not really relevant.”
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The petitioners raised concerns about the fairness of the two-shift format. They argued that variations in the difficulty levels of question papers across different shifts could compromise the exam’s integrity and level playing field.
The NBE further argued that conducting the exam in a single shift was not possible due to an insufficient number of exam centres. It also claimed that normalisation would resolve any differences between the shifts.
However, the Court rejected these arguments. It directed the NBE to hold the NEET PG 2025 exam in a single shift to ensure transparency and fairness for all candidates. The Court noted that the exam is scheduled for June 15, 2025, giving NBE enough time to make the necessary arrangements.
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In response to NBE’s submission about logistical difficulties, the Court stated that if NBE is unable to complete the arrangements by June 15, it can seek an extension for conducting the exam.
This ruling reaffirms that every candidate's right to a fair examination process must be protected, even if only a few come forward with grievances.
Case no. – Diary No. - 22918/2025
Case Title – Dr. Aditi & Ors. v. National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences & Ors.
