NEET-PG 2025 to be held on August 3 in single shift

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the National Board of Examination (NBE) to conduct on August 3, the NEET-PG 2025 exam in one shift in line with the top court's directions. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih, which initially questioned the over two-month window sought by the NBE for holding the examination, said the board's plea appeared to be "bonafide". The top court, however, clarified no further time would be granted to NBE for holding NEET-PG 2025 examination.

The NBE referred to the May 30 order of the top court and said for holding the simultaneous examinations all over in one shift required about 1,000 examination centres. The plea said it would hold the examination, scheduled on June 15 between 9 am and 12.30 pm on August 3, which was the earliest possible date given by their technology partner Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS). It had previously referred to various communications with the TCS and cited various arrangements like identification of examination centres, their availability and security measures to plug any leaks for holding the examination on August 3. The bench questioned the long duration for holding the examination saying that students, who have prepared very hard for the examination, would face the brunt and even their selection process would be further delayed. "The order of this court was of May 30, what exercise has been done till now. The examination centres were already identified for holding the test on June 15 and the only thing which needed to be done was to see their availability. Security arrangement is to be done in any case, whenever you have to hold the examination," the bench observed. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the NBE, submitted that arrangements need to be made to avoid even a minor glitch in the all India level entrance test.

He said examination centres, which are to be identified, had to be technology compliant and safe, therefore, requiring elaborate arrangements. Justice Masih said the court very well knew how TCS works and it has had experience of various examinations and finding such centres would not be a problem. The NBE's plea, among other things, has sought the top court's "permission to schedule the NEET PG 2025 on August 3, 2025 which is the earliest possible available date given by its technology partner, i.e., M/s Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) in accordance with the directions passed by this vide order dated May 30, 2025". It has said, "Thousand plus centers shall need to be booked and engaged which will require considerable time." For a shift of 2,42,679 candidates with buffers would require an infrastructure for 2.70 lakh to be made available across the country and it needed considerable time, the NBE has said.

The plea argued a collaborative effort of the government authorities and the NBE was needed to enable students to navigate the "uncertain period" with "resilience and support". The NBE said aside from NEET-PG, it was conducting Indian Railways, several banking exams and regional exams across states in the country. "Hence we propose to conduct this exam on August 3, in the 1st shift from 9 am to 12.30 pm," the plea said. On May 30, the top court ordered conducting the post-graduate medical entrance exam scheduled on June 15 in a single shift as two shifts created "arbitrariness" in its opinion. The authorities were directed to make arrangements for holding NEET-PG 2025 exam in one shift and ensure transparency and identification of the secured centers. The apex court had passed the order on the pleas challenging a notification for holding the examination for admissions in medical courses in two shifts. While one of the pleas was filed through advocate Sukriti Bhatnagar, several lawyers, including advocate Tanvi Dubey, appeared in the matter. The NBE is entrusted with the responsibility of conducting postgraduate and postdoctoral examinations in approved specialties leading to the award of Diplomate of National Board and Doctorate of National Board and Fellow of National Board.