New Delhi, Aug 28
A group of NEET-PG 2025 aspirants have filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging a “corrective notice†issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on August 21.
The petitioners, who are qualified doctors, claimed that the new disclosure mechanism of answer keys is “opaque, unintelligible and incapable of meaningful verification.â€
The corrective notice amended NBEMS’s earlier circular and mandated that candidate responses and answer keys would be displayed only with reference to 'Question ID Numbers' from a master set of the question paper.
Since the exam was conducted with shuffled sequencing of questions and options, the petitioners argued that this format deprives them of a “clear and candidate-wise mapped view of the questions actually attempted by themâ€.
“It frustrates the very object of publishing answer keys and responses, which is to enable candidates to cross-check their answers, raise objections against discrepancies, and ensure transparency in evaluation of a high-stakes national examination,†stated the petition.
It further contended that the Question-ID-only system renders the disclosure “illusory and non-verifiable†and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution by denying candidates a fair and transparent admission process.
The plea, filed by advocate Satyam Singh, emphasised that candidates are not seeking re-evaluation of answer sheets but their grievance is confined to the manner and format of disclosure.
The plea demanded that the disclosure must include: “(i) The questions in the order actually attempted, (ii) the candidate’s responses, (iii) the official correct answers, and (iv) the marks awarded.â€
Referring to previous judicial directions on transparency in NEET-PG evaluations, the petition noted that the Supreme Court had earlier directed disclosure of raw scores, answer keys, and the normalisation formula.
The petition also highlights that other competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE, CLAT, and AIIMS INI-CET follow candidate-wise response disclosure practices.
With a large number of medical graduates competing for limited postgraduate seats, the petitioners contended that unless corrective directions are issued by the apex court, the “sanctity of NEET-PG will remain compromised.â€
The plea sought a declaration that the NBEMS corrective notice is unconstitutional to the extent it mandates only Question ID-based disclosure without candidate-wise sequence, and further seeks directions to publish actual questions as seen by each candidate, corresponding correct answer key and responses marked along with a reasonable mechanism to raise objections.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who gave NEET-PG last year, I completely support this petition. The current system is like trying to solve a puzzle blindfolded. Students deserve to see what they actually attempted in the exam hall, not some coded version.
While transparency is important, we must also consider that complete question disclosure might lead to paper leaks or coaching institutes exploiting the system. There should be a balanced approach that protects both student rights and exam integrity.
Medical education in India needs serious reform. When other major exams can maintain transparency, why can't NEET-PG? This affects thousands of future doctors who deserve a fair evaluation process. Kudos to these aspirants for taking legal action!
The stress and pressure on medical students is already enormous. Adding opaque evaluation methods only increases anxiety. Hope SC intervenes and ensures proper transparency. Our future doctors deserve better! ðŸ™
This is exactly why students lose faith in the system. When you can't even verify your own answers properly, how can you trust the final results? NBEMS needs to understand that transparency builds credibility, not weakens it.
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