In a decisive move, the Supreme Court has declined a plea to delay the NEET-PG 2024 examination, scheduled to take place on August 11, 2024. The examination, overseen by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, will proceed as planned in two shifts across 416 centers in 170 cities nationwide.
A three-judge bench, including Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, heard the petitioners’ concerns. They argued that some candidates had been assigned examination cities that were difficult to reach, with test city allocations only announced on July 31, 2024. Additionally, the exact examination centers were to be disclosed on August 8, 2024, leaving candidates anxious about the potential for arbitrary outcomes due to an unclear normalization formula.
However, the Court firmly dismissed the plea, emphasizing the broader impact on the large number of students involved. “At the behest of five petitioners, we can’t put the career of 2 lakh students in jeopardy. Let there be certainty,” stated the bench. The judges further asserted, “As a matter of principle, we will not reschedule. There are two lakh students and four lakh parents who will weep over the weekend.”
With this ruling, the NEET-PG 2024 examination will go forward without any changes to the schedule.
