Medical aspirants fighting for transparency in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 were left feeling hopeless after the Supreme Court of India deferred the hearing of their plea to January 7, 2025.
In their plea, the petitioners demand the release of answer keys, individual raw scores, and details of the normalisation process used to balance scores across the exam’s two-shift format introduced this year. The students argue that without these measures, there is no way to verify the accuracy or fairness of the results.
This marks the seventh adjournment since the petition was filed on September 9, 2024, highlighting persistent delays in addressing key concerns. The case, listed as item number 30 on December 10, 2024, was brought up through a process known as mentioning, where urgent matters are presented to the court for consideration.
During the proceedings, the opposing side, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), allegedly sought a postponement, citing that their senior counsel was “in difficulty” and “not available next week.”
However, the week after next marks the beginning of the court’s winter vacations, starting on December 23, 2024, and ending on January 1, 2025. As such, the respondents supposedly requested the case be heard only after the recess.
The petitioners’ counsel urged the court to take up the matter sooner, highlighting the urgency of the situation. They pointed out that the counselling process overseen by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) was already underway and would likely conclude by January.
If the hearing were delayed beyond this timeline, they argued, it could render the petition ineffective.
Despite these appeals, the bench of Justices BR Gavai and MV Viswanathan sided with the opposing counsel’s request and rescheduled the hearing for January 7, 2025. This decision has further intensified the frustration of petitioners, who believe that their concerns are being sidelined in favour of procedural delays.
Adding to their woes, the MCC has faced criticism for delays and inconsistencies in its counselling schedule, compounding the uncertainty faced by students. As the petitioners await their day in court, with the next hearing nearly a month away, students are left grappling with the uncertainty of both their legal and academic futures.
Speaking to EdexLive, Dr Ishika Jain, the lead petitioner, expressed her disappointment. “We are very disappointed now. Losing hope day by day! Doctors are always being ignored every time in our nation,” she said.
Her statement finds resonance in concerns raised by healthcare professionals in India regarding violence against them in the workplace. The government recently informed the Lok Sabha that it does not maintain centralised data on violence against doctors, a stark contrast to the increasing reports of such incidents nationwide — from the brutal stabbing of Dr Balaji Jegannathan in Chennai to the assault on a doctor in Gujarat over a request to remove one’s slippers. Despite repeated demands for a central law to protect doctors, the government has insisted that existing state-level laws are sufficient.
The deferments in the NEET-PG case underscore the challenges faced by doctors in India within both societal structures and institutional systems. The petitioners’ efforts to bring transparency to the examination process align with the broader struggles of the medical fraternity to restore trust in the systems governing their profession — one that is vital yet seemingly undervalued.
Whether in hospitals or courtrooms, recurring issues of justice and institutional support highlight the critical need for systemic reforms to ensure that those tasked with saving lives are provided the protection and recognition they deserve.