SC Delays NEET PG 2024 Hearing Amid Aspirants’ Concerns Over Exam Pattern and Rankings

The Supreme Court has not scheduled the hearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2024 case today, October 4. The petition, brought forward by a group of aspirants, highlights last minute changes to the exam pattern and questions the transparency of the results process. The hearing was initially delayed after no representative from the Union of India appeared in court during the previous session.

Aspirants have raised concerns regarding the sudden alterations introduced by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) just three days before the exam. They have also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity in the marking system and the disclosure of results.

In a related issue, the Director General of Medical Education and Training (DGME) of Uttar Pradesh has barred 81 candidates from participating in the state's NEET PG counselling 2024, citing their failure to join seats allocated during the stray vacancy round last year.

The NEET PG plea, led by Ishika Jain and 18 other petitioners, was last heard on September 20. During that session, the Supreme Court described the last-minute changes to the exam process as "very unusual". Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija and lawyer Tanvi Dubey representing the students, had called for responses from the NBE and the Centre, setting a one week deadline. The case was initially scheduled to be heard again on September 27.

The NEET PG 2024, which serves as the gateway for admissions into MD, MS, Diploma, and DNB programmes, faced a series of unexpected changes to its exam pattern, sparking widespread concern. Candidates have since questioned the process used to normalise marks, the absence of transparency over answer keys, and the accuracy of results published on August 23. Many aspirants, who received lower-than-expected rankings, have demanded a full disclosure of the final answer keys and a clearer explanation of the marking methodology employed by NBEMS.