NEET PG 2025 can't be held in two shifts, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday (May 30) directed the National Board of Examinations (NBE) not to hold NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts, as it creates arbitrariness and different levels of difficulty. The court has asked NBE to make arrangements to hold NEET-PG in one shift to ensure transparency and fairness.

The NEET PG exam is scheduled to be held on June 15, 2025 and the court observed that there was still time left to make necessary arrangements for the exam.

While the NEET PG examination was held in two shifts in 2024 due to incessant rains in several parts of the country after the postponement of the examination thrice, the aspirants were demanding a single-shift exam system accusing the National Board of Examinations (NBE) of discrepancies and lack of transparency in the examination process if it’s held in two different shifts.

Also Read: Delayed NEET results worry aspirants, medics say NTA must admit slips, correct course

‘Two-shift model arbitrary’

"Holding the exam in two shifts leads to arbitrariness and cannot give a level playing field. The question papers in the two shifts can never be of the same difficulty level. Last year it may have been held in two shifts in the facts and circumstances of that stage. But the examining body ought to have considered making arrangements for holding the examination in one shift,” the top court observed.

While the NBE stated that there were not enough centres to hold the exam in a single shift, the students cited the example of NEET UG and said that more than 20 lakh students appear for the examination in centres across the country, so a similar structure can be made for the same.

Also Read: Madras HC stays NEET-UG-2025 result over power outage at Chennai centre

Rejects NBE’s argument

In this context, the court observed, "We are not ready to accept that in the entire country and considering the technological advancements in this country, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift."

A bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice NV Anjaria passed the order while hearing several petitions demanding a single-shift examination for NEET PG.

Also Read: NEET-UG held at over 5,400 centres; sporadic incidents of protest, arrest

Hold single-shift exam

"There are varying difficulty levels between shifts and there cannot be any methodology for score normalization for the students who would appear for the exam. The aspirants are relieved that the exam would be held in a transparent and fair manner as per Supreme Court's order," said Dr Arun Kumar, national general secretary and founder of United Doctors Front (UDF). UDF had also filed a petition challenging the two-shift exam system for NEET PG.

Commenting on the argument by NBE that normalisation will be applied to ensure that the difficulty level of both exams is similar, the Court observed that any two question papers can never be of an identical level of difficulty. "There has to be a variation. Normalisation may be applied in exceptional cases but not in a routine manner year after year. We accordingly direct the respondents to make further arrangements for holding the examination in one shift and also ensure that full transparency is maintained and secured centres are identified," the court stated in the order.