Will the Supreme Court Hear the Plea Against Two Shifts in NEET PG 2025?

Synopsis
On May 5, the Supreme Court is set to hear a pivotal plea from the United Doctors Front challenging the NEET PG 2025 examination's two-shift system. This case could redefine evaluation standards for aspiring medical students across India.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court will hear UDF's plea on May 5.
- NEET PG 2025 is currently set for June 15.
- UDF argues two shifts create unequal evaluation.
- Constitutional rights at stake: Articles 14 and 21.
- Call for a single, uniform examination session.
New Delhi, May 4 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to review a petition on Monday submitted by the United Doctors Front (UDF) contesting the National Board of Examinations (NBE) decision to organize the NEET PG 2025 examination in two separate shifts.
The petition calls for the examination to take place in a single, uniform session nationwide.
According to the cause list available on the apex court's website, a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan will be hearing the case on May 5.
The plea, represented by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, argues that conducting the NEET PG in two shifts with differing question papers results in unavoidable fluctuations in difficulty levels, leading to unequal evaluation standards for candidates.
It states, "This infringes upon Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution, which assure equality before the law and the right to fair opportunity."
The petition further contends that the statistical normalization process implemented by the NBE lacks transparency, does not involve public consultation or expert review, and operates on the "faulty assumption that difficulty levels across shifts and candidate abilities are the same."
It requests the Supreme Court's intervention to ensure NEET PG 2025 is held in a single and uniform session, in addition to seeking an interim stay on the examination scheduled for June 15.
In connection with NEET PG 2024, which was also organized in two shifts, multiple petitions have been submitted to the Supreme Court questioning the transparency of the examination process. Aspirants for NEET PG have challenged the NBE's practice of withholding question papers, answer keys, and candidates' response sheets, along with raising concerns about the introduction of two shifts, the normalization method, and changes to the tie-breaking criteria.