New Delhi — Escalating their demand for a fair and transparent medical entrance process, the United Doctors’ Front (UDF) has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a directive to conduct the NEET PG 2025 examination in a single shift across the country.
The plea, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, challenges the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) decision to conduct the critical postgraduate entrance test in two separate shifts using different question papers and a normalisation formula for score calculation.
UDF argues that the two-shift model is “arbitrary, opaque, and discriminatory,” violating candidates’ fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 — the rights to equality and fair opportunity.
“This is not just about convenience. It’s about merit, justice, and restoring aspirants’ trust in the system,” said Dr. Lakshya Mittal, UDF National President.
Growing Discontent
The decision to hold NEET PG 2025 on June 15 in two sessions — 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM — has sparked wide concern among medical aspirants, especially after past controversies surrounding the 2024 normalisation process, which many alleged was flawed and lacked transparency.
A UDF social media survey revealed that 96% of over 2,500 respondents favored a single-shift exam. A separate Shiksha.com poll showed 89% opposition to the two-shift format.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
UDF has long warned that variations in paper difficulty and an unverifiable scoring mechanism can severely impact ranks, admissions, and future careers. The organisation has also submitted representations to the Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, urging intervention.
In their Supreme Court plea, UDF is seeking a “One Nation, One Shift” directive to ensure uniformity, merit-based evaluation, and credibility in one of India’s most competitive medical exams.
Awaiting NBEMS Response
So far, NBEMS has not revised its exam schedule. Meanwhile, a separate plea on alleged irregularities in the NEET PG 2024 evaluation process also remains pending before the Supreme Court.
