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In a significant order aimed at ensuring fairness, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the National Board of Examination (NBE) to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination in a single shift,
rejecting the NBE’s proposed two-shift format on the ground that it creates “arbitrariness” and fails to provide a level playing field. A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath,
Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice NV Anjaria pulled up the NBE for failing to ensure uniformity in the highly competitive medical entrance exam, holding that two shifts inevitably result in
varying difficulty levels of question papers, violating principles of equality. Advertisement “Holding the exam in two shifts leads to arbitrariness and cannot give a level playing field.
The question papers in the two shifts can never be of the same difficulty level… The examining body ought to have considered making arrangements for holding the examination in one shift,”
the bench said in its order. Advertisement The court, however, permitted the NBE to seek extension of time if logistical arrangements cannot be completed by June 15, the scheduled date of
the exam. When the counsel for NBE submitted that nearly 900 additional exam centres would be required to hold the exam in one go, the bench refused to accept logistical limitations as an
excuse. “We are not ready to accept that in the entire country, and considering the technological advancements, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in
one shift,” the bench observed. The NBE counsel argued that infrastructure limitations—such as availability of secure Wi-Fi, adequate computer systems, and examination safety—necessitated
the two-shift model, and said that out of 2.5 lakh applicants, only a small fraction had challenged the format. The court, however, remained firm in its stance, citing the need for
procedural uniformity and a fair opportunity to all candidates. The order came in response to petitions challenging the NBE’s decision to conduct the 2025 NEET-PG in two shifts. The case has
been posted for further directions in the coming week if the NBE applies for a revised schedule. Advertisement
