Mumbai: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Tuesday filed an application with the Supreme Court, seeking permission to reschedule the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 from its original date of June 15 to a proposed date of August 3, pending court approval.

NBEMS cites logistical constraints outlined by its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as the reason for the proposed delay. The potential 50-day postponement has sparked outrage among students, parents, and activists, who argue it disrupts preparation and heightens stress.

The postponement comes on the back of the Supreme Court’s order on May 30, mandating that NEET-PG 2025 be conducted in a single shift to ensure fairness, rejecting the earlier two-shift plan due to concerns over varying question paper difficulty.

The court had directed NBEMS to “make necessary arrangements for holding the NEET-PG, 2025, examination in one shift, duly ensuring that complete transparency is maintained and secure centres are identified and commissioned.”

NBEMS’s application, however, highlights significant hurdles in meeting this directive by the original date. Correspondence with TCS indicates that conducting the exam for 2,42,679 candidates in a single shift requires over 1,000 test centres across more than 250 cities, compared to the 448 centres in 195 cities initially planned for two shifts.

The proposed delay has drawn sharp criticism. Brijesh Sutaria, a Mumbai-based medical education activist, slammed NBEMS’s approach, stating, “NBEMS now claims that TCS, their tech partner, can conduct NEET-PG 2025 only on August 3rd. Why only Sundays? Why only weekends? If this is truly an extraordinary situation, then the Supreme Court must treat it as one. Why can’t the exam be held on a weekday?”

He further criticised NBEMS’s planning, saying, “This entire excuse ‘centres not available’ is absurd. It’s clear now: NBEMS didn’t plan at all. And now they’re hiding behind logistics.”

Sutaria also voiced concerns about systemic issues, calling NBEMS the “Next Big Excuse Management Squad” and decrying its dependence on TCS timelines. “This isn’t governance; it’s abdication of responsibility,” he said, urging the Supreme Court to issue “an extraordinary direction to break this administrative paralysis”.

The potential postponement follows a troubled history for NEET-PG, with the 2024 exam cancelled due to integrity concerns. Students and activists argue that further delays erode confidence in the system.

“NEET-PG is not just a test, it’s a career-defining moment. More time doesn’t guarantee better preparation; in many cases, it derails mental focus, adds stress, and worsens burnout,” Sutaria added.

NBEMS outlined additional steps required for the single-shift format, including reopening the application window for candidates to select test cities, redistributing candidates to new centres, and coordinating with state authorities for security and infrastructure.

The application states, “The current booking of test centres is double the capacity as the examination was planned at the centres in two shifts… now the examination will be conducted in one single shift and therefore half the candidates are to be located to other centres that are still to be identified.”