NEET PG Supreme Court hearing over transparency issues tomorrow; five adjournments till date

NEW DELHI: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024 continues to be at the centre of controversy as the next Supreme Court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, December 3. The NEET PG 2024 case has already faced five adjournments, and the legal proceedings have intensified as medical aspirants express growing frustration over the lack of transparency in the exam process and delays in the subsequent counselling process.

The controversy began on September 7, 2024, when 19 NEET PG candidates filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the release of the answer key, raw marks, and an explanation of the normalization process used to calculate scores for the NEET PG exam. The petitioners argue that these are essential for ensuring the exam's transparency, as candidates have the right to understand how their scores were calculated and whether any discrepancies exist.

The National Board of Examinations (NBE), responsible for conducting the exam, has refused to disclose this information, citing its confidentiality policy. Despite repeated requests, the NBE has held firm, leading to growing concerns among aspirants about the integrity of the exam and the fairness of the evaluation process.

NEET PG Hearing: Legal delays and postponements

The NEET PG hearing has been delayed multiple times, with five adjournments to date. The first hearing was scheduled for September 20, but it was delayed due to various reasons, including the absence of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on October 4 and the lack of representation from the central government during the hearing on October 25. On November 12, a separate petition was filed, urging the court to delay the NEET PG counseling process until the transparency issues were resolved.

The court deferred the hearing to November 26, and once again, on December 3, the matter will be heard by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. This ongoing delay has led to considerable uncertainty for medical students who are eager for a resolution that would clear the way for timely counseling and seat allocation.

Also read NEET PG results 2024 raise questions on transparency: here’s why aspirants moved Supreme Court

Controversial exam pattern change, fairness concern

One of the main issue of the case is the sudden change in the exam pattern, which occurred just days before the NEET PG 2024 exam. The Supreme Court described this change as “very unusual”, highlighting concerns about how such alterations could affect the fairness of the exam. Candidates have argued that the abrupt change in the structure of the exam put them at a disadvantage, as they had little time to adapt to the new format.

Another key issue raised by petitioners is the normalization process, a system used by the NBE to adjust scores across different sets of question papers with varying difficulty levels. While this process is standard practice, the petitioners have requested full transparency, including access to their individual response sheets, question papers, and answer keys. They claim that without this transparency, it is impossible to verify whether the normalization process was applied fairly and consistently.

NEET PG 2024: Delay in counselling process

Beyond the exam itself, the NEET PG 2024 counseling process has also been marked by delays and confusion. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) began registration for counseling on September 20, but it wasn’t until November 1 that the official schedule was released. This delay has left many aspirants frustrated, as they were uncertain about crucial dates for counseling rounds and seat allotment.

The counseling process has been further complicated by legal challenges in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, where state-level seat allotments were stalled due to disputes over the normalization method and merit lists. These complications have further heightened concerns about the transparency and fairness of the entire process, especially for candidates hoping to secure admission to prestigious medical institutions.