NEET-PG 2024: SC to hear petition to postpone exam amid logistical concerns

A petition has been lodged with the Supreme Court requesting a postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024, which is currently scheduled to take place on August 11, 2024.

The plea, brought forth by petitioner Vishal Soren has highlighted significant challenges faced by candidates due to the late assignment of exam cities that has hindered their ability to reach testing locations.

As reported by Bar and Bench, the difficulties stem from the fact that students were notified of their exam centres only on July 31, 2024, with detailed information about the venues disclosed just a week later, on August 8, 2024.

This situation has created logistical obstacles for nearly 200,000 aspiring candidates, leaving many struggling to arrange travel to their assigned locations. The petitioner points out that the limited timeframe, coupled with ongoing rail restrictions and soaring airfares, has made travel planning nearly impossible.

Moreover, the NEET-PG exam will be conducted in two separate batches, but the normalisation process used to assess performance across different sets of question papers remains unclear to candidates. This uncertainty has led to further doubts as the petition seeks transparency regarding the normalisation formula to ensure fairness and consistency in the examination process.

The petition explicitly requests that details about the normalisation methodology be communicated to candidates to eliminate any potential for irregularities.

In an additional layer of complexity, a wave of rumours regarding a leak of the NEET-PG question paper has emerged on social media just days before the exam. However, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has promptly denied these allegations, asserting that "such reports are false and misleading." 

A press release from the NBEMS clarified that the question papers for the NEET-PG 2024 have yet to be finalised. The board has also cautioned against fraudulent claims circulating on platforms like Telegram Messenger, where dishonest agents suggest that the question papers have been compromised and are available for purchase.