The Supreme Court on Friday, May 30, directed the authorities to conduct the NEET PG 2025 examination in a single shift, ruling that the current two-shift model introduces arbitrariness and denies candidates a fair and level playing field.
The order came during the hearing of a petition filed by the United Doctors Front (UDF), which had challenged the two-shift format citing issues with score normalisation and question paper inconsistencies. A separate petition by another candidate, Aditi, was also heard alongside.
The SC observed that question papers in two shifts can never be of identical difficulty, and using normalisation as a routine process is unjust. “Such practices may be acceptable in exceptional situations but not as a matter of policy year after year,” the court stated.
Despite arguments by the Centre and the National Board of Examinations citing limited infrastructure and logistical constraints for online exams, the court maintained that with over two weeks remaining before the June 15 exam date, authorities must identify and secure additional centres to ensure a single-shift examination.
The court also criticised the lack of transparency, particularly the refusal to share answer keys and raw score data, though it clarified that it would not examine that issue at this stage.
Today’s verdict is a landmark moment for thousands of NEET PG aspirants, who had voiced concerns over fairness, transparency, and the unpredictability of the current exam format.
Admit cards for NEET PG 2025 are scheduled to be released on June 2, and the examination will now proceed as a single-shift test following the Supreme Court’s directive.
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