The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Monday announced the postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduation (NEET-PG), which was earlier scheduled to be held on June 15, 2025.
The move comes after a recent Supreme Court order that the exam be conducted in a single shift instead of two.
While hearing a petition last week, the court directed NBEMS not to hold NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts, observing that such a format could create arbitrariness.
The court emphasised the need for complete transparency and mandated that secure centres be identified and commissioned to ensure the fair conduct of the examination.
In its notice dated June 2, NBEMS said the exam, conducted for admission to MS, MD and PG diploma courses, has been postponed to arrange for additional test centres and infrastructure.
'The revised date for conduct of NEET-PG shall be notified shortly,' the authority added.
The proposal to hold the exam in two shifts had faced opposition from various quarters, with aspirants raising concerns that multiple shifts might lead to discrepancies due to potential variations in question paper difficulty levels, thereby affecting performance.
According to reports, more than 242,000 candidates had registered for this year's exam.
Those who qualify NEET-PG participate in the counselling process conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for 50 per cent of seats under the All India Quota (AIQ).
The remaining seats are allotted through state-level counselling authorities.
As per data from the Union health ministry, there are currently 74,000 postgraduate medical seats in India.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
© 2025