SC questions last-minute changes to NEET-PG 2024 exam pattern
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concerns over the eleventh-hour modifications to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduation (NEET-PG) 2024 examination pattern. The Apex Court described the changes, implemented just three days before the exam, as “very unusual” and warned that such abrupt alterations could lead to a “meltdown” among students.
The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, was responding to submissions made by senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija and lawyer Tanvi Dubey, who represented the affected students. The court has requested responses from both the National Board of Education (NBE) and the Central government within a week, scheduling the next hearing for September 27.
The primary issues raised by the petitioners include last-minute changes to the exam pattern, the normalisation of marks, and the non-disclosure of answer keys and question papers for the NEET-PG exam held on August 11. Makhija argued that there was a lack of clear rules and regulations governing the exam process, with everything hinging on a single information bulletin susceptible to arbitrary modifications.
“There needs to be a standardised approach,” Makhija said, highlighting the absence of a regulatory framework for exam conduct. The sudden decision to split the exam into two parts just days before the test date has been a particular point of contention.
While representatives of the NBE contested these claims, asserting that nothing unusual had been done, Chief Justice Chandrachud remained sceptical. “It is very unusual... Three days before the examinations (exam pattern was changed) ...students will have a meltdown,” he remarked.
The case, initially filed by Ishika Jain and others, seeks transparency in the selection process through the disclosure of answer keys and question papers, as well as the standardisation of marks due to the exam’s bifurcation.
The NEET-PG results, announced by the NBE on August 23, have sparked widespread concern among students who reported unexpectedly low rankings. Many have called for the release of official answer keys and the establishment of a grievance portal to address potential discrepancies in the ranking process.
