NEET PG 2025 to Be Held in Single Shift, Supreme Court Scraps Two-Shift Format

The Supreme Court of India has ordered that the NEET-PG 2025 exam be conducted in a single shift, instead of the earlier plan to hold it in two shifts. The Court rejected the National Board of Examinations' (NBE) decision to conduct the test in two shifts, stating that such a move could lead to unfairness and inconsistencies. 

The ruling came after a petition raised concerns over the potential arbitrariness of the two-shift system. The Court added that if the NBE is unable to make all arrangements by the scheduled exam date, 15 June, it may seek an extension of time. 

According to media reports, the Supreme Court noted that holding the NEET-PG exam in multiple shifts could result in differences in the difficulty level of question papers, which may lead to a sense of unfairness and inconsistency among candidates. The Court stressed that for an exam of such national importance, it is crucial to maintain uniform standards. 

It further observed that question papers in two different shifts can never be the same in terms of difficulty, and relying on normalisation as a regular practice is not fair. “Such practices may be acceptable in exceptional situations but not as a matter of policy year after year,” the court stated. 

SC Asks for More Centres; Flags Lack of Transparency in Score Sharing:  

Despite concerns raised by the Centre and the National Board of Examinations about limited infrastructure and logistical challenges for conducting online exams, the Supreme Court held that—with more than two weeks remaining before the scheduled date of June 15 authorities should make the necessary arrangements and secure additional centres to conduct the NEET-PG exam in a single shift. 

The Court also expressed concern over the lack of transparency, particularly regarding the refusal to share answer keys and raw score data. However, it stated that it would not look into that issue at this stage.