NEET PG 2025 to be held on August 3 in single shift as SC approves delay

NEET PG Exam delayed: Justice PK Mishra's bench pulled up the Centre and the exam authority over the postponement, questioning why the exam wasn't scheduled for mid or late July instead

The Supreme Court has granted permission to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination on August 3, in a single shift. The decision came after the board's plea for rescheduling to ensure uniformity and fairness, as per the court’s directive. 

Court accepts NBEMS request, but no further delay allowed

A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih, which had earlier questioned the extended timeline requested by NBEMS, accepted the board’s explanation, noting the reasons appeared to be genuine.

 

However, the apex court emphasised that no further extension would be allowed for conducting the exam.

 

The decision follows the Supreme Court’s May 30 order directing that NEET-PG must be held in a single shift to ensure uniformity and eliminate disparities in question paper difficulty levels. The exam was earlier scheduled for June 15, but NBEMS sought a rescheduling due to the logistical challenge of conducting a single-shift exam for over 2.42 lakh candidates. 

Justice PK Mishra questioned delay

Justice PK Mishra questioned the National Board of Examinations (NBE) over the prolonged delay, asking, “Why do you need time till August 3?” Meanwhile, Justice AG Masih expressed concern over the lack of progress since the May 30 order, stating that no concrete steps had been taken and that the delay was unwarranted. “What have you done since then? Why do you need two full months?” he asked.

 

In its application, NBEMS cited logistical hurdles in organising a single-shift exam for over 2.42 lakh candidates nationwide on the earlier date. The board explained that it had approached its technical partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), immediately after the Supreme Court’s May 30 directive to assess the feasibility of a single-shift test on June 15. TCS responded the same day, stating that the timeline was insufficient for the necessary infrastructural arrangements.

 

In a follow-up on June 2, TCS advised that holding the exam on June 15 in one shift was unworkable and recommended August 3 as the earliest practical alternative. 

 

The revised date, NBEMS stated, would provide enough time to arrange over 1,000 test centres across nearly 250 cities, with capacity for more than 2.70 lakh candidates, including a buffer.   

NEET PG: A crucial exam for medical aspirants

 

NEET-PG is a crucial examination for admission into postgraduate medical courses across India, and any disruption or inconsistency in its conduct directly impacts thousands of aspiring doctors. 

NEET-PG 2025 examination date

The exam will now be held on August 3 in a single shift from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.