New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination in a single shift, rejecting the plan to hold it in two shifts. This decision follows strong opposition from doctors and medical aspirants, who raised concerns over fairness and the lack of transparency in a double-shift system.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NK Anjaria ruled that conducting the exam in two shifts would create inequality and arbitrarily affect merit rankings. The Court emphasised the need for a level playing field and ordered NBE to make arrangements for a single-shift exam on 15 June 2025. If required, NBE may request more time to arrange sufficient exam centres. Supreme Court orders NEET PG 2025 to be held in a single shift, ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for all aspirants.
Join NEET PG News 2025 This ruling comes as a major relief to thousands of candidates and has been widely welcomed by the medical community. The United Doctors’ Front (UDF), one of the petitioners, praised the judgment as a win for fairness and transparency.
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Dr. Lakshya Mittal, National President of UDF, called the verdict a landmark step that upholds equal opportunity. “This directive ensures all candidates face the same exam conditions,” he said, adding that the ruling validates the UDF’s long-standing call for an equitable examination system.
Dr. Arun Kumar, UDF’s National General Secretary, highlighted that the verdict affirms the medical fraternity’s collective effort for fairness. He thanked Advocate Satyam Singh for his dedicated legal support in the case.
Medical bodies such as FORDA, FAIMA, and IMA-JDN had earlier voiced their concerns over the two-shift exam format.
Dr. Aviral Mathur, President of FORDA, welcomed the Court’s decision as a critical move toward maintaining integrity in the admission process. He stressed that uniform evaluation and a common question paper are essential for merit-based selection. He urged the authorities to ensure the smooth and timely execution of the exam plan.
Dr. Meet Ghonia, Secretary of FORDA, requested that the authorities immediately confirm whether the exam will still be held on 15 June. He noted that uncertainty had negatively impacted aspirants last year as well.
Dr. Akshay Dongardive, President of FAIMA, described the verdict as historic. He emphasised that it protects the principle of equal opportunity in medical education and thanked all medical associations for standing united in the cause.
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The Indian Medical Association – Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) also welcomed the judgment. Its National Secretary, Dr. Indranil Deshmukh, highlighted that conducting exams in multiple shifts risked compromising fairness due to difficulties in normalising scores. He also appreciated the efforts of NBE and the National Medical Commission (NMC), urging them to expand exam centre access, especially in remote areas, to reduce travel-related stress.
Dr. Rohan Krishnan, a medical education activist and Chief Patron of FAIMA, declared the verdict as a permanent solution to the shift-related concerns. He revealed that FAIMA had consistently raised the issue with the NMC and Health Ministry and expressed gratitude to the judiciary for standing with students. He also mentioned an upcoming case on July 7 seeking further transparency in NEET PG, including public release of question papers and solutions.
Brijesh Sutaria, a medical education activist from Maharashtra, called the verdict a “watershed moment.” He questioned why the NBE couldn’t maintain a single-shift format, as done until 2023, and criticised the lack of planning. “This is a clear message from the Court—transparency in medical education is non-negotiable,” he said.
With this judgment, the Supreme Court has reinforced the values of fairness, equal opportunity, and integrity in the postgraduate medical entrance process. All eyes are now on the NBE and Health Ministry to ensure a smooth and transparent conduct of NEET PG 2025 in a single shift, without delay or confusion.
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