In a significant order, the Supreme Court on Friday issued directions that the post-graduate medical entrance exam scheduled on June 15 be conducted in a single shift, saying holding it in two shifts "creates arbitrariness".

A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath directed the authorities to make arrangements for holding NEET-PG 2025 exam in one shift and to ensure that complete transparency is maintained and secured centres are identified.

"Any two question papers can never be said to be having an identical level of difficulty or ease," said the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and N V Anjaria.

It said normalisation may be applied in exceptional cases but not in a routine manner year after year.

The bench passed the order on pleas challenging a notification on holding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination in two shifts.

The top court said the total number of candidates who have applied for the examination is 2,42,678 and the test is held all over the country and not in one city.

"We are not ready to accept that in the entire country and considering the technological advancement in the country, the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift," the bench said.

"Holding examinations in two shifts creates arbitrariness and also does not keep all the candidates, who take the examination, at the same level," it observed.

It said the examination is scheduled for June 15 and there was still more than two weeks for the examining body to identify further centres to hold it in one shift.

"We accordingly direct the respondents to make further arrangements for holding the examination in one shift and also ensure that complete transparency is maintained and secured centres are identified," the bench said.

One of the pleas was filed through advocate Sukriti Bhatnagar. Several lawyers, including advocate Tanvi Dubey, appeared in the matter.

The counsel appearing for the respondents, including the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), said even if efforts were made to identify more centres, it might need more time which might result into delay in holding the examinations.

The NBEMS is entrusted with the responsibility of conducting postgraduate and postdoctoral examinations in approved specialities leading to the award of Diplomate of National Board and Doctorate of National Board and Fellow of National Board.

The respondents said consequently, the counselling might also be delayed which would not be in line with the timeline fixed by the apex court.

"This argument is also not accepted as there is still sufficient time for the examining body to identify sufficient number of centres for holding the examination in one shift," the bench said.

The top court observed it would be open for the respondents to apply for extension of time, if they find they were not able to identify required number of centres.

When the counsel for the respondents repeatedly said the process of identifying centres might not be completed by June 15, the bench said they could seek extension of time and the court would consider that.

"It is for you to identify and pay for it. If you don't want to spend money, it is a different thing," the bench observed.

The counsel appearing for the respondents said it was not a question of money.

"Now you burn little midnight oil and try to find the centres," the bench said.

"We have given you liberty to seek extension," the bench said, adding, "You have already made up your mind that you are not going to be able to do it without even trying. Try at least".

It noted the other issued raised in the plea was regarding disclosure of question papers and answer keys on NBEMS's website after the declaration of results.

It said this issue would be considered after the examinations are held and posted the matter for hearing on July 14.

The apex court noted that counsel for the respondents have opposed the plea to conduct NEET-PG examination in one shift on two grounds.

It said as per respondents, the number of candidates to appear in the exam was too large and it was difficult for the examining body to find secured centres to hold the test in one shift.

It said the second ground was that if examinations were held in one shift, unscrupulous elements might get involved and there could be malpractices.

During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners said NEET-PG exam was a rank-based test and even one marks would make a huge difference in whether the candidate would get the preferred stream.

"You tell us why do you hold examination in two shifts?," the bench asked the counsel appearing for the respondents.

The counsel said these examinations were held online and there were limited safe centres having required infrastructure.

When the counsel appearing for one of the respondents said the schedule fixed by the apex court would be disturbed as holding the examination in one shift within 15 days would be difficult, the bench said, "Don't give this kind of a threat that the whole year will go and this will happen and that will happen".

The lawyer appearing for another respondent said they have identified about 445 centres for multi shift examination and if it was to be conducted in one shift, they will have to identify about 900 odd centres.

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