The Supreme Court on Friday (May 30) Directed The National Board of Examination Not to Hold NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts, observing that such that such an exam will create arbitrarines.
The court directed the nbe to make arranges to hold neet-pg 2025 in a single shift ensuring transparency. The court observed that there was still time left to make Necessary Arrangements for the Exam Scheduled to Be Held on June 15.
,Holding Examination in Two Shifts Creates Arbitrariness and also does not keep all the candidates at the same level. Any Two Question Papers can Never Bee Said to Be of An Identical Level of Differentya or ease. There has to be a variation“, The court observed in its order.
Rejecting the argument of the nbe that there was not enough center to hold exam in single shift, the court observed:
“The exam is to be help all over the country, not just one city. We are not ready to accept that in entry count and consider the technological advancements in this country, the examining body could not find enourted centers to Hold the examination and one shift. “
A bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice Nv Anjaria Passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the decision of the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to Conduct NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts.
Normalization cannot be applied in routine manner; Take Steps to Conduct Exam in Single Shift: Court Directs
Regarding nbe’s argument that normalization is applied to make the levels of bot papers the same, the court observed in its order:
,Normalization may be applied in exceptional cases but not in a routine manner year after year.,
The exam for this year is scheduled for the 15th of June 2025. There is still more than 2 weeks for the examining body to identify the centers to hold the exam in one shift.
We according direct the responses to ensure make further arranges for holding the exam in one shift and also ensure that full transparency is maintaned and secured centers are Ident
In it’s order, the court recorded the grievance of the petitioners thus: “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 difference. Last year it may have been help in two shifts in the facts and circumstances of that stage. But the examining body Ought to have considered making arranges for holding the exam in one shift,
What Happened during The Hearing?
The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the double-shift exam giving gives priority to “luck” over ‘merit. “
When the bench asked why the exam was help in two shifts, Senior Advocate Maninder AcharyaFor the national board of exams, replied:
“The exam is help online. Like this. “
“Even for this exam we have very limited centers. Infrastructure for Wi-Fi, Good Computers Safety Security etc. Acharya said. She added that the exam is scheduled to take place on June 15 and any court interference will result in the cancellation of the exam and delay the admission process. She added that out of over 2.5 lakh candidates, only a handful of them have approved the court.
“Appropriate Difential Level of Both the shifts is kept at the same. After that, there is normalization. Normalized, ” The nbe’s counsel added, asserting that no prejudice is caused to any candidate.
However, the bench was not impressed with these arguments, and asked why the exam had to be done in two-shifts. The bench also pointed out that double-shift was not done for the neet-ig, which has more candidates.
“Why can’t you do it straight forward why do you need an online exam?” Justice Vikram Nath Asked. “Why do you need an only exam? It is just a multiple choice question exam,” Justice Sanjay Kumar Asked. The nbe counsel mainted that this was done to avoid human intervention.
Justice nath however said that nbe has to find a solution and ensure that exam is help in a single shift. Justice nath said that there cannot be absolute equivalence between the papers of two-shifts, whitever be the normalization process.
“Why should there be Normalization? The two-shift candidates are giving exam with different different differences ..” Justice Nath said. NBE COUNSEL POINTED OUT that Many Other Exams, Like Cat, In-CET, IIT-JEE, CUET ETC, Are Held in two shifts. She added that there is no difference in different level and even if there is a differentce, normalization is applied.
The bench however stuck to its view that two shits cannot be permitted. The bench said that other exams cannot be compared to neet-pg. When the nbe said that only a handful of students have approved the court, justice sanjay kumar said that even if one student who has a Legitimate Greivance, The Court will interference.
Acharya said that to hold exam in one shift, 900 extra centers will have to be arranged, which is not possible before june 15. The bench said that the agency has time to find out the resources. “Don’t give us a threat that admissions will be delayed. You can do,” Justice Vikram Nath Said.
In its order, the bench class the nbe can apply for extension of time if they are unable to make arranges by June 15.
“It will be open for the responsibility to apply for extension of time if they find that they are not due to Identify the centers and conduct the exam on 15th june.”
Senior Advocate Shikhil Suri, Advocates Vidhisha Swarup, Dr.Charu Mathur, Avani Bansal etc.Appeared for the petitioners.
Background
The write petition challenges the two-shift policy, stating that it creates potential unfairness due to Varying Levels of Differential Between Shifts. It seeks a direction for NEET-PG 2025 to be help in a single shift to ensure “just, fair, reasonable and equitable” Competition among Candidates.
The petition argues that conducting the exam in two shifts violats the candidates’ rights under article 14 of the constitution, as the Absence of Transparence in the management and Normalisation Processes Makes Impossible to mainTain Fairness. It further claims that article 21 is Violated Due to the Lack of a Fair Examination Process.
The plea also referrs to neet-pg 2024, which was conducted in a two-shift format and resulted in litigation before the supreme court. It cites an assessment by a “Prominent online coaching platform” highlighting disparities in the number of questions per subject in each shift. The petition conferences that such discrepancies can inflate and vary marks and rankings, giving undue advantage to some candidates and Violating Article 14.
It further claims that in neet pg 2024, the second shift was easy, which may have disadvantaged candidates in the first shift. Therefore, The Petition Prays that NEET-PG 2025 Be Conducted in a Single Shift to Eliminate Such Disparities.
The Supreme Court Had Earlier, on May 5, Sought a Response from the National Board of Examinations, The National Medical Council, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Regarding the plea.
Case Details: Dr. Aditi & Ors v. National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences & Ors | Diary no. – 22918/2025
