Supreme Court to Hear NEET PG 2025 Transparency Plea Today: What It Means for Candidates and Counselling

The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a critical plea today, September 23, 2025, regarding the transparency of the NEET PG 2025 examination process. The case, listed first on the court's board, has garnered national attention following widespread complaints from candidates about unexplained discrepancies in their exam scores, with some alleging variations of 50 to 150 marks.

This hearing is not just about individual grievances; it holds significant implications for the integrity of the NEET PG evaluation system, and more immediately, for the postgraduate medical counselling process across the country.

Petitioners Demand Full Score Disclosure for Accountability

At the heart of the litigation is a demand for complete transparency in how NEET PG scores are calculated. Petitioners argue that the current level of disclosure by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is inadequate and undermines fairness in what is considered one of India’s most competitive entrance exams for medical graduates.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued clear directions to NBEMS:

• Publish raw scores of all candidates
• Release the official answer key
• Disclose the normalisation method used to evaluate results

However, NBEMS has so far only released question IDs and corresponding answers, falling short of the court’s instructions. Petitioners insist that this limited disclosure does not enable candidates to verify the accuracy or fairness of their results.

Previous Hearings and Supreme Court’s Stand

During the previous hearing on September 19, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan reviewed the matter and ordered it to be listed for detailed arguments on September 23. The case has already faced multiple adjournments, including one on September 12, which has directly affected downstream processes like medical counselling.

The bench had earlier also raised questions about the intent of some petitioners, but ultimately acknowledged the seriousness of the transparency concerns and decided to proceed with an in-depth hearing.

NEET PG Counselling Put on Hold Nationally

The ongoing legal proceedings have caused a significant delay in the NEET PG 2025 counselling process conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The MCC has not yet released the national counselling schedule, choosing instead to wait for a clear verdict from the Supreme Court.

This has left thousands of qualified candidates in limbo, unable to plan their next steps until the situation is resolved.

Once the Supreme Court issues its ruling, the MCC is expected to:

• Announce the national counselling schedule on its official site: mcc.nic.in
• Publish a PDF document with detailed dates and procedures
• Provide a direct link under the “NEET PG” tab on the homepage
• Instruct candidates to download and print the document for reference

State Counselling Underway Despite National Delay

In contrast to the national stalemate, several state governments have moved forward with their own state-level NEET PG counselling processes. Notably:

• Gujarat
• Tamil Nadu
• Kerala

These states have initiated counselling independently, providing eligible students with opportunities to secure state-quota postgraduate medical seats. However, the national-level seats and All India Quota (AIQ) remain inaccessible until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict and the MCC releases the corresponding schedule.

Candidate Concerns and the Bigger Picture

The situation has sparked concern across the medical community, with students, parents, and educators questioning the robustness of the evaluation system and the credibility of NEET PG results.

Many are calling for systemic reforms that include:

• Greater transparency in scoring mechanisms
• Mandatory publication of raw scores and answer keys
• Detailed explanations of any score normalisation techniques used

Given the high stakes of NEET PG — which determines access to specialized medical education and long-term career paths — these concerns are far from academic. For thousands of aspiring doctors, the lack of clarity is both frustrating and anxiety-inducing.

What Happens Next?

As the case is listed first on the board for today’s Supreme Court hearing, a ruling — or at least substantial progress — is expected shortly.

If the Supreme Court upholds the petitioners’ demands, the NBEMS could be ordered to release:

• Complete score data
• Full answer keys
• A detailed breakdown of its scoring or normalisation algorithms

This would likely pave the way for the MCC to announce the counselling schedule promptly.

If the court rules otherwise, the current evaluation and disclosure process may remain in place, but with potential backlash from students and civil society advocates who view transparency as non-negotiable in public examinations.

Final Word

The outcome of this case will set a critical precedent for not only NEET PG but also other high-stakes competitive exams in India. With allegations of score discrepancies and a pause on national counselling, the spotlight is now on the Supreme Court to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in the country’s medical education system.

Students and stakeholders are advised to keep a close watch on the MCC website and official court updates as the day unfolds.