NEET PG 2024 Exam: SC Dismisses Petition, Exam To Be Conducted As Scheduled On August 11

The Supreme Court dismissed a petition to postpone NEET-PG 2024, citing the risk to 2 lakh students' careers and the impact on over 4 lakh parents if the exam, set for August 11, were delayed.

Supreme Court refuses to postpone NEET PG 2024 exam.

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The Supreme Court of India has refused to entertain a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 exam, which is scheduled for August 11. The Chief Justice of India (CJI), while dismissing the plea, highlighted the potential consequences of altering the exam schedule.

A bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, refused to entertain the petition. CJI Chandrachud remarked, "So many problems are there in the country, now to reschedule the PG Exam."

During the hearing, the CJI emphasised that the court must consider the broader impact on students and their families.

The bench noted that only 5 out of over 2 lakh students had filed the petition.

"We cannot jeopardize the careers of 2 lakh students for the sake of 5 petitioners," the CJI remarked, underscoring the concerns of over 4 lakh parents who would also be affected by any delay in the examination.

Advocate Hegde argued that the demand was supported by many students, mentioning that he had received around 50,000 messages.

Addressing the petitioners' concerns about normalisation, CJI said that it might not be a perfect solution but we should look at practical solutions in a complex and diverse society.

The petition raised two main issues: first, that many NEET-PG 2024 candidates have been assigned test centers that are difficult to reach; second, that the exam will be conducted in two batches, and the candidates are unaware of the normalization formula, leading to fears of arbitrariness.

Notably, NEET PG 2024 has once again sparked a wave of concerns as aspirants flagged the issue of far-off examination centres. Some students have been allotted centres 1000 km away from their homes. Several candidates have taken to social media to narrate their ordeal and criticise the National Board of Examinations (NBE) for allegedly causing mental harassment.

The students are demanding the exam be conducted in a single shift with centres within their home states. NEET PG 2024 is scheduled for August 11 in two shifts.