Mindful of the plight of students, the Supreme Court approved the plea of the National Board of Examination for Medical Sciences (NBE) to reschedule the NEET-PG 2025 exam on June 6, 2025. The exam will now be held on August 3, 2025, in a single shift.
A two-judge bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Augustine George Christ allowed the time extension sought by the NBE. The court said the request was genuine and allowed the revised schedule.
Read also: SC grants right of appeal to complainants of cheque dishonour under CrPC 372
The order said, "The bench is satisfied that the prayer made by the NBE is bona fide." Earlier on May 30, the Court had directed that the NEET-PG exam, originally scheduled in two shifts, be conducted in a single shift and scheduled for June 15, 2025. It, however, gave the NBE the liberty to seek more time if required.
Following this direction, the NBE approached the Supreme Court on June 3, stating the need to increase the number of exam centres from 450 to 900 and implement extensive security and infrastructure upgrades. The NBE cited a communication from its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), confirming that August 3 was the earliest possible date to conduct the exam.
Read also: CJI B.R. Gavai: Entry of Foreign Law Firms Will Boost India’s Global Arbitration Standing
During the hearing, the bench questioned the need for such a long delay.
“You want time till August 3? Why so much time?” Justice Mishra asked.
“You have not even started the process. The order was passed on May 30. What did you do after that?” Justice Masih asked.
The NBE counsel responded that more than 2.5 lakh candidates are expected to appear and managing a single shift exam of such a large scale requires thorough logistical planning. This includes identifying new centres, ensuring safety protocols, informing candidates and updating the application portal.
ASG KM Nataraj, appearing for the Central government, supported the NBE's deadline and said the decision was taken after several high-level meetings.
The application reads, "The current booking capacity of exam centres is doubled. More than 1000 centres will need to be booked and accommodated, which will require a considerable amount of time."
The court admitted the application, making it clear that no further extension would be granted.
The NBE noted that once new city choices are collected from candidates, they will need time for redistribution and communication, and that admit cards should be issued at least 4 days before the exam.
In addition, the NBE pointed out the need to conduct mock runs and system checks, as well as hire and train a large number of invigilators, network administrators and security staff.
The application emphasised that NEET PG is a high-stakes exam and ensuring fairness and prevention of malpractice is crucial. This requires coordination with law enforcement and cyber security agencies.
"Tackling malpractice is a major challenge and all law enforcement agencies will have to join hands," the NBE said.
The Supreme Court verdict ensures clarity for lakhs of candidates and underlines the importance of safe and fair conduct of this crucial exam.
