The Supreme Court will resume hearing the NEET PG 2024 result transparency plea on January 7, 2025. The hearing was earlier scheduled for December 10 but was postponed for the seventh time. Medical students have expressed frustration over the constant postponements.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is set to resume the hearing on the NEET PG 2024 result transparency plea on January 7, 2025. This hearing, initially scheduled for December 10, was postponed for the seventh time, sparking widespread frustration among medical students.
The repeated delays have left many aspirants disheartened, as the demand for transparency in the NEET PG 2024 results has yet to be addressed.
On September 7, 2024, the controversy surrounding NEET PG 2024 transparency reached the Supreme Court when 19 students filed a petition. The petition specifically called for the release of the answer key, raw marks, and detailed information about the normalisation process used to calculate results.
Despite persistent requests from students, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) has consistently declined to provide the requested details. The NBE cited “confidentiality” as a fundamental element of its admission policy, refusing to release the answer key, raw marks, or normalized marks.
During the first hearing, the Supreme Court highlighted several irregularities, including a last-minute change in the exam pattern, the allocation of distant exam centres, and the non-disclosure of exam content. The court described the circumstances as “unusual.” However, the case has faced multiple postponements for various reasons, delaying a resolution for the aggrieved students.
Recently, the case was rescheduled to December 10, 2024, but was yet again deferred to January 7, 2025.
The continuous postponements have further fueled concerns over the lack of urgency in addressing these transparency issues.
Meanwhile, several states have resumed NEET PG counselling for 2024, which had previously been halted due to discrepancies in the state merit lists. A total of five court cases have been filed across five different states, highlighting the widespread issues affecting the NEET PG process this year.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test—Postgraduate (NEET PG 2024) was conducted on August 11, 2024, across 416 exam centres nationwide, with 2,28,540 candidates registered. Unlike previous years, the exam was held in two shifts. Shift 1 took place from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, while Shift 2 was scheduled from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This shift-based approach marked a significant departure from the traditional single-shift examination.
The introduction of the normalisation procedure with this new system has been a major point of contention. Many candidates reported receiving lower marks than expected, attributing this to the normalisation process. The resulting dissatisfaction has prompted questions about the fairness and transparency of the evaluation system. Students’ frustrations have only been exacerbated by the NBE’s steadfast refusal to disclose critical information regarding the process.
As the January 7, 2025, hearing approaches, the medical community continues to demand greater accountability and transparency in the NEET PG 2024 examination process. The outcome of this case is likely to have significant implications for future medical entrance examinations in India.
BACKGROUND
In September, the transparency issues related to NEET PG 2024 escalated to the Supreme Court, where a group of students filed a petition requesting the release of the answer key, raw scores, and details regarding the normalization process used to determine results. The National Board of Examinations (NBE) consistently refused to comply, citing confidentiality as a key aspect of its admission policy. The petition, filed on September 7, 2024, by 19 candidates, has faced multiple delays, with five postponements to date.
The initial hearing took place on September 20, but subsequent sessions were delayed first on October 4 due to the absence of then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and again on October 25 due to the lack of representation from the central government. A petition filed on November 12 sought to postpone NEET PG counseling until the matter was resolved.
However, on November 19, the Supreme Court deferred the hearing to November 26, which was later rescheduled to December 3 after a request for adjournment from the petitioners. And then on Dec 10.
Key issues raised in the petition include the unexpected change in the exam pattern shortly before the test, which the court deemed “very unusual,” leaving candidates uncertain about the fairness of the examination process. Petitioners are also demanding access to their individual response sheets, question papers, and answer keys to ensure transparency. Nevertheless, the NBE maintains that releasing such information would compromise the confidentiality of the examination, a principle integral to its admission policy.
This stance has intensified frustrations among candidates who are questioning the accountability of the authorities. Despite NEET PG 2024 results being declared on August 23, uncertainty regarding the legal and procedural issues surrounding the exam persists.
While the legal battle over NEET PG 2024 unfolds, another significant issue has emerged: the counseling process. Registration for NEET PG Counseling 2024 began on September 20, but the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), responsible for managing the process, did not announce a deadline for registration.
As students awaited updates amid the ongoing Supreme Court case, a period of 40 days passed without a counseling schedule, leading to growing anxiety among candidates. Relief finally arrived on November 1, when the MCC released a detailed counseling schedule outlining four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and a Stray Vacancy round. The MCC also clarified timelines for All India Quota (AIQ) and state counseling.
According to the schedule, Round 1 registration ended on November 17, 2024, with seat allotment results announced on November 20. Round 2 registrations are set to begin on December 4, 2024. However, a sudden revision on November 7 introduced further complications. The MCC updated the NEET PG Counseling brochure, adding new details about eligibility criteria and admission procedures for Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). This change came after a June 26 letter from the Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), which emphasized a restructuring of counseling responsibilities for AFMS admissions.
According to media reports, the NEET PG 2024 counseling processes in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and Rajasthan, are facing legal challenges. In Madhya Pradesh, the High Court recently stayed the Round 1 seat allotment results due to irregularities in the normalization process used to create the state merit list.
The court highlighted that this process had resulted in unusual rank shifts, where students with higher scores were ranked lower than expected, prompting legal action. Similar issues have arisen in other states, causing delays in their counseling rounds. Despite these hurdles, several states have released their Round 1 seat allotment results for NEET PG counseling.
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