The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a long-pending petition today, March 25, regarding the release of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 answer key and related materials. The case, listed as item 42 in the court's cause list, is being closely followed by medical aspirants and stakeholders across the country.
The petition was filed by Dr Ishika Jain, a NEET-PG aspirant, along with other candidates who have raised concerns about transparency issues in the conduct and evaluation of the NEET-PG 2024 examination.
The plea highlights discrepancies in the results declared by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on August 25, 2024, citing the absence of answer keys, scorecards, and candidates' raw scores.
The matter was first taken up on September 13, 2024, with the Supreme Court issuing a notice to NBEMS. However, subsequent hearings have been repeatedly postponed due to various procedural delays and the absence of key judicial and NBEMS representatives.
The petitioners have remained persistent, demanding the disclosure of exam materials to ensure fairness and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Meanwhile, in a related development, NBEMS recently announced that the NEET-PG 2025 exam will be held on June 15 in two separate shifts. This decision has drawn significant criticism from medical aspirants and associations, who fear that the need for score normalisation could once again compromise transparency and fairness.
Aspirants are now vocally advocating for a single-shift examination in 2025 to avoid disputes similar to those arising from the 2024 results. Today's hearing is expected to bring clarity on whether NBEMS will be directed to release the answer key and raw scores, as petitioners continue to press for greater transparency.
