On Friday, August 9, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition requesting the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 examination, which is set to take place on August 11. The petition, which also challenged the National Board of Exams’ (NBE) decision to conduct the exam in two batches with a normalisation formula, was rejected by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
As soon as the case was taken up, Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked, “So many problems are there in the country, now to reschedule the PG Exam.” Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the petitioners, highlighted that the exam had already been rescheduled once, from its original date of June 22. However, the bench remained unswayed.
Hegde further argued that his primary concern was ensuring the exam is held in a single batch to provide a uniform and fair testing environment for all candidates. The bench noted that only five out of over 200,000 students had filed the petition, with Hegde countering that he had received support from about 50,000 students.
The bench, however, ruled against the petition, with CJI Chandrachud stating, “At the behest of 5 petitioners, we can’t put the career of 2 lakh students at jeopardy. Let there be certainty.” He further emphasised that rescheduling the exam was not an option, as it would disrupt the lives of two lakh students and their families.
Regarding concerns over the normalisation process, CJI Chandrachud acknowledged that while the system might not be perfect, it is necessary to consider practical solutions within a complex and diverse society.
The petition raised two main issues: the inconvenience faced by many NEET-PG 2024 candidates in reaching their allotted test centres, and the potential for unfairness due to the exam being conducted in two batches with an undisclosed normalisation formula. The petitioner argued that the allocation of test cities, announced on July 31, 2024, was problematic as the specific centres were only disclosed on August 8, leaving students with little time to make travel arrangements.
The petition claimed that the late announcement of test centres, combined with the non-availability of train tickets and the surge in airfares, made it nearly impossible for many students to reach their designated locations. Additionally, the petitioner sought transparency in the normalisation process to eliminate any potential bias between the two batches of exam-takers.
The prayers in the petition included requests to reschedule the NEET-PG 2024 exam, to conduct the exam in a single batch, and to ensure a more equitable allocation of test centres. The petition was filed through Advocate-on-Record Anas Tanwir.
In a related case, the Supreme Court recently refused to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 examination despite allegations of paper leaks and malpractice, stating that there was insufficient evidence to indicate systemic issues that would compromise the exam’s integrity.
