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, 2025, in a single shift across the country. This decision follows a plea by the Board seeking a rescheduling of the exam in compliance with the apex court’s directive to ensure uniformity and fairness in the conduct of the examination.
The Court had earlier, on May 30, directed NBEMS to avoid holding the exam in multiple shifts, highlighting concerns regarding “arbitrariness” and lack of parity in the difficulty levels of question papers.
Originally slated for June 15, the exam will now be held from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM on August 3. The examination is a critical qualifying test for admission to postgraduate medical courses across India and is expected to be taken by over 2.42 lakh candidates.
In its application to the Court, the NBEMS stated that it immediately reached out to its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), after the May 30 order, to explore the possibility of conducting the exam in a single shift on the originally planned date. However, TCS replied the same day that the time was too short to implement the necessary logistical changes.
Subsequently, in a communication dated June 2, TCS informed the Board that conducting the exam on June 15 in a single shift was not viable, and recommended August 3 as the earliest possible alternative. The Board further explained that the new date would allow enough time to secure more than 1,000 examination centers across around 250 cities, accommodating over 2.70 lakh candidates, including a buffer.
