New Delhi: On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that the NEET-PG 2025 examination, set for June 15, must be conducted in a single shift. The court expressed concerns that conducting the exam in two shifts could lead to inconsistencies and unfairness.

Justice Vikram Nath, leading the bench, instructed the relevant authorities to ensure that the exam is organized in one shift while maintaining transparency and identifying secure testing centers.

The bench noted that it is impossible for two different question papers to have the same level of difficulty, emphasizing that normalization should only be applied in rare cases, not as a standard practice.

This decision came in response to petitions challenging a notification that proposed conducting the NEET-PG exam in two shifts.

The court highlighted that 242,678 candidates have registered for the exam, which is conducted nationwide, not limited to a single city.

The bench remarked that with advancements in technology, it is unacceptable that the examining body could not find enough centers to facilitate a single shift exam.

The court pointed out that conducting the exam in two shifts introduces arbitrariness and fails to ensure that all candidates are evaluated equally.

With more than two weeks remaining before the exam, the court urged the examining body to identify additional centers to accommodate a single shift.

The bench directed the respondents to make necessary arrangements for the exam and ensure transparency in the process.

One of the petitions was filed by advocate Sukriti Bhatnagar, with several lawyers, including Tanvi Dubey, representing the case.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), responsible for conducting the postgraduate exams, argued that identifying more centers might require additional time, potentially delaying the examination.

The court, however, maintained that there is still ample time to secure the necessary centers for a single shift exam.

The bench noted that if the respondents find it challenging to identify the required number of centers, they could request an extension, which the court would consider.

The respondents' counsel expressed concerns about the feasibility of completing the center identification process by June 15, but the court encouraged them to make an effort.

The bench also addressed another issue raised in the petitions regarding the disclosure of question papers and answer keys on the NBEMS website post-results, stating that this matter would be reviewed after the exams.

The court acknowledged the respondents' objections to conducting the exam in one shift, citing the large number of candidates and the difficulty in finding secure centers.

During the proceedings, the petitioners emphasized that the NEET-PG exam is rank-based, where even a single mark can significantly impact a candidate's preferred specialty.

The bench questioned the rationale behind holding the exam in two shifts, while the respondents cited limited infrastructure at safe centers for online examinations.

Despite concerns about the timeline, the court dismissed threats of disruption, urging the respondents to identify the necessary centers promptly.