NEET PG 2025 Rescheduled to August 3: Supreme Court Orders Single-Shift Exam, No Further Delays Allowed

Chintan Shah
Jun 9
2 min read

Supreme Court Grants New Timeline, But No Further Delays Allowed

On June 6, 2025, the Supreme Court of India granted the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE/NBEMS) permission to reschedule the NEET‑PG 2025 exam from its original date of June 15 to August 3, 2025. However, the Court made it unequivocally clear that no additional extensions will be permitted beyond this revised timeline.

Why the Shift? A Push for Fairness and Logistical Readiness

Single‑Shift Mandate: In a landmark ruling on May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court emphasized that conducting the exam in two shifts inherently compromises fairness—different shifts may vary in difficulty, disadvantaging some candidates. The bench explicitly stated that such an arrangement could grant “fortune more weight than merit”.
Complex Logistics & Infrastructure Overhaul: Originally planned across 450 centres catering to over 250,000 candidates, the shift to a single session demand doubling the capacity to around 900–1,000 centres nationwide. According to NBEMS, this extensive network expansion requires time to ensure each centre meets technical and security standards—ranging from computer systems and backup power to anti-cheating protocols and law-enforcement coordination.
Tech Partner’s Constraint: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), NBEMS's examination technology partner, confirmed that August 3 was the earliest viable date with sufficient capacity to execute the exam under the new single-shift model.

Courtroom Exchange: Probing the Delay

During the hearing, Justices Mishra and Masih challenged NBEMS’s request, querying why the process was taking two months when the directive came on May 30. NBEMS cited the need for time-intensive steps—such as candidate re-allocation, city-selection window, invitation of centre preferences, technical provisioning, and staff training—along with a compliance-driven turnaround for admit cards and site announcements.

Key Takeaways for Aspirants

Revised Exam Date: August 3, 2025, in one continuous session. No afternoon or evening shifts.
Last-Chance Delay: This is the absolute deadline set by the Supreme Court—no further deferment will be allowed.
Centre Intimations & Admit Cards: Expect an updated city-intimation slip and admit card in advance; NBEMS has committed to issuing admit cards at least four days before the exam, and centre notifications at least two weeks prior.
Preparation Strategy: Students now have additional time—use it to sharpen weaker subjects, review mock tests, and plan logistics in anticipation of the August exam.

Why This Matters

NEET‑PG is the gateway to specialist medical education across India. The Supreme Court’s directive for a single-shift format ensures a common, level playing field—eliminating shift-related discrepancies in difficulty, timing of reveal of questions, and security protocols.

In conclusion, the apex court has acted to uphold equity and transparency in India’s highly competitive medical entrance exam. Candidates should align their planning and preparation with this revised schedule, confident that this will be the final exam date.