The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) for the year 2025, which serves as a national-level entrance examination for admission into postgraduate medical programs, is scheduled to take place in a single shift on August 3. This decision follows the Supreme Court’s approval on Friday of the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) request to reschedule the examination, which was initially set for June 15 in two shifts.
A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and A G Masih granted the application from NBEMS to postpone the exam until August 3, 2025. While addressing a petition that contested the plan to conduct the examination in two shifts, the Supreme Court had instructed NBEMS on May 30 to conduct it in a single shift.
The court questioned the rationale behind the decision to hold the examination in two shifts, dismissing NBEMS’s claim that there were insufficient centers to accommodate all candidates for NEET-PG. The bench remarked, “We are not prepared to accept that in the entire country, and given the technological advancements available, the examining body could not identify enough centers to conduct the examination in one shift.” Following this, NBEMS submitted a request to the court for an extension of time.
On Friday, Justice Mishra inquired of NBEMS’s counsel, “You require time until August 3? Why is such an extended period necessary?” Justice Masih further remarked, “You have not even initiated the process. The order was issued on May 30. What actions have you taken since then? This is causing delays. Why do you require two months?”
The court also permitted NBEMS to return and request an extension of time. Subsequently, NBEMS referenced a letter from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which indicated that the examination could only be conducted on August 3.
Last year marked the inaugural instance of NEET-PG being conducted in two shifts rather than a single shift. The examination occurred on August 11, featuring sessions from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
