NEET-PG Supreme Court Hearing Live: SC dismisses petition to postpone NEET PG exam

With the Supreme Court's ruling, the NEET PG 2024 exam will proceed as planned on August 11 in two sessions. More than 2.28 lakh candidates are expected to sit the exam.

Full report here

During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that, as a matter of principle, rescheduling will not be considered. The decision affects 200,000 students and 400,000 parents. It would be unjust to jeopardise the futures of these 200,000 students for the sake of five petitioners, said CJI.

As the NEET PG hearing begins in the Supreme Court, the CJI says, "We cannot jeopardise the exam for 2 lakh students on a petition by 5 students. Let there be certainty now. 2 lakh students and 4 lakh parents will be waiting."

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) ignited a firestorm among NEET PG 2024 aspirants when it abruptly changed exam centres for candidates on August 4. The board justified the move, citing the introduction of new exam centres and a two-shift format to prioritise student safety.

However, the decision has been met with widespread discontent. Some candidates claim to have received no communication about their exam centre at all, while others were appalled to find their allocated city far removed from their preferred location. To add to the candidates' woes, the ongoing monsoon season has further complicated travel arrangements across India.

With the exam scheduled for August 11, the uncertainty and logistical challenges have created immense stress for aspiring medical professionals.

The NEET PG 2024 exam, initially set for June 23, 2024, was postponed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as a precaution. This decision was made in response to concerns about the integrity of competitive exams in the country.

The Supreme Court is set to hear the NEET-PG 2024 matter this afternoon, with the case listed as item no. 44; the bench is currently on item no. 20.

NEET PG 2024 will be held in two shifts to manage a higher volume of candidates and alleviate pressure on exam centers. This adjustment follows the postponement of the exam from its original date of June 23, 2024, due to reported issues with competitive exams. The implementation of two shifts aims to maintain the exam's integrity and ensure a smooth process for all candidates. On August 11, 2024, the morning shift will be from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and the afternoon shift will be from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has clarified via a tweet that media reports suggesting a potential leak of the NEET-PG 2024 examination paper are false and misleading. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has filed a police complaint against fraudsters attempting to deceive NEET-PG aspirants by offering the exam questions for money.

The Ministry assures all candidates that the NEET-PG 2024 question papers are yet to be prepared by NBEMS, and any claims of a paper leak circulating on social media are entirely fabricated.

The NBEMS has taken legal action against individuals and groups falsely claiming to have access to NEET-PG exam questions, which they offer to sell to candidates.

The plea will be heard by a bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has urged Union Health Minister JP Nadda to increase the number of NEET-PG exam centres across India.

In a letter shared on X, Tharoor expressed concern over reports of a significant reduction in test cities. He highlighted the immense distress faced by aspiring doctors due to the limited exam centres, often located far from their home states, causing significant inconvenience and hardship.

In an interview with PTI, NBEMS President Dr. Abhijat Sheth mentioned that for NEET-PG 2024, private entrepreneurial institutions have been avoided to enhance oversight and prevent malpractice.

"We are relying on the TCS iON centres and AICTE-affiliated institutes to hold the exam this time for better supervision and also to stem out any possibility of malpractice. A few private entrepreneur centres have been roped in where there are no TCS iON or AICTE-affiliated institutes available," Sheth explained.

The NEET PG exam, scheduled for August 11, 2024, will be held in two shifts across India. Approximately 228,542 candidates will participate at 416 exam centers located in 170 cities.

The NEET PG 2024 exam, initially set for June 23, 2024, was postponed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as a precaution. This decision was made in response to concerns about the integrity of competitive exams in the country.

If a candidate encounters technical issues during their shift, NBEMS has a procedure to address such situations:

Immediate Help: Technical support teams are available to promptly resolve any issues.

Alternate Solutions: Candidates might be reassigned to a different computer or exam center if feasible.

Additional Time: If the problem is resolved, candidates may receive extra time to finish the exam.

Special Measures: In severe cases, candidates might be given the opportunity to retake the exam during a later session.

Complaint Handling: Candidates can report technical issues, and NBEMS will investigate and provide a suitable response.

Normalization in NEET PG is implemented to ensure fairness in scoring since the exam is conducted over multiple sessions. It adjusts for variations in question difficulty across different shifts, so candidates are assessed on a level playing field.

By considering both the difficulty of the questions and the performance of candidates in each session, normalization ensures that the results are not skewed by the varying complexity of the exams. This process provides a more accurate reflection of a candidate's abilities, leading to a fairer selection process.

The NEET PG exam will consist of 200 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in English, with each question offering four answer choices. Candidates must select the most accurate or appropriate response from the options provided. The exam will last for 3 hours and 30 minutes.

According to PTI, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has underlined the importance of a smooth and fair NEET PG 2024 exam, scheduled for August 11. The board has formally requested district administrations to provide the necessary support to maintain the exam's integrity.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has clarified via a tweet that media reports suggesting a potential leak of the NEET-PG 2024 examination paper are false and misleading. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has filed a police complaint against fraudsters attempting to deceive NEET-PG aspirants by offering the exam questions for money.

The Ministry assures all candidates that the NEET-PG 2024 question papers are yet to be prepared by NBEMS, and any claims of a paper leak circulating on social media are entirely fabricated.

The plea states that test cities were assigned on July 31, 2024, and the exact exam centres were announced on August 8, 2024. Although this was done to prevent cheating, it has caused problems for over two lakh students. The petitioner claims that the short notice has made it very hard for students to arrange travel to their assigned cities, especially with limited trains and rising airfares.

The petition requests the Supreme Court to direct the National Testing Agency (NTA) to reschedule the NEET-PG 2024 examination, allowing candidates more time to make necessary travel and accommodation arrangements.

The plea is being heard by a bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

A petition has been filed requesting the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 exam due to the allocation of exam cities that are difficult for candidates to reach. The plea argues that the limited time for travel arrangements has placed candidates in an inconvenient position.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-Postgraduate exam was originally scheduled for June 23. However, the Union Health Ministry postponed it to August 11 as a "precautionary measure" following reports of irregularities in other competitive examinations.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition on Friday that seeks the postponement of the NEET-PG examination, which is set to take place on August 11. The plea highlights that candidates have been assigned exam cities that are challenging for them to access.