NEET PG to be held on August 3; Supreme Court clears extension request

The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to conduct NEET PG 2025 on August 3, instead of the earlier scheduled date of June 15. The decision came after NBEMS filed an application citing practical difficulties in holding the examination in a single shift, as ordered by the court on May 30.

A vacation bench of Justices P.K. Mishra and A.G. Masih heard the matter and stated, “We are satisfied that the prayer for extension of time till August 3 is bona fide.” The bench extended the time granted in its May 30 order and clarified that no further extension would be allowed. The exam will now be conducted in one shift from 9 am to 12:30 pm across India.

NBEMS informed the court that conducting the exam in a single shift would require identifying over 1,000 examination centres equipped with secure premises, uninterrupted internet, power backup, and trained technical staff. The Board explained that over 2.42 lakh candidates would appear for the exam, and logistical coordination with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the technical partner, would take time. The existing 450 centres planned for two shifts would not suffice for a single-shift model.

TCS submitted a report to NBEMS stating that the process of reallocation of centres, server installation, configuring infrastructure, and reopening the centre selection window would make August 3 the earliest feasible date. The report added that over 2,000 local servers and approximately 60,000 personnel—including commanding officers, invigilators, system operators, and security staff—would be required for smooth conduct. In NEET PG 2022 and 2023, similar single-shift exams were held with 849 and 902 centres respectively.

The court had earlier ruled against the two-shift model, stating it led to “arbitrariness” and potential inequality between candidates. The order followed petitions by aspirants who argued that previous years’ papers in different shifts were not equally difficult. NBEMS had initially planned to adhere to the June 15 schedule with two shifts but approached the court after the shift format was disallowed. The Centre also supported the extension, citing the need for double the number of centres and enhanced security protocols.