NEET PG 2025: SC defers hearing on answer key transparency plea to September 23

The Supreme Court today, September 19, deferred the hearing on a petition challenging the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’ (NBEMS) decision to release only “Question ID”–based answer keys for the national Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG) 2025.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan will now hear the matter on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

Background

The petitioners have challenged NBEMS’s August 21 “corrective notice,” which restricts publication of NEET PG 2025 answer keys and candidate responses to “Question ID Numbers” from a Master Set. Aspirants argue that this format is opaque because they never saw this Master Set during the exam and encountered shuffled versions of the questions.

The plea contends that this system:

• Violates Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Fair Process)

• Denies candidates a meaningful opportunity to verify their answers and challenge errors

• It is arbitrary when compared to transparency norms in exams like JEE, CLAT, and AIIMS INI-CET

What petitioners are seeking

The petition asks the court to direct NBEMS to release candidate-wise mapped question papers with responses and correct answers, and to provide downloadable response sheets.

The petitioners are also urging the exam-conducting body to open a representation window with reasoned decisions on objections and lay down clear guidelines for future NEET PG exams.

Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput has emphasised that the case is not about re-evaluation, but about ensuring transparency.

“When candidates cannot meaningfully verify their responses, the disclosure becomes an empty formality. This impacts not just individual careers but the integrity of India's medical education system,” he said.