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The Supreme Court on Friday raised concerns over last-minute changes to the NEET-PG 2024 exam pattern by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), calling it “very unusual” and warning that such actions could lead to students having a “meltdown.”

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud heard submissions from senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija and lawyer Tanvi Dubey, representing the students, and directed the NBE and the Centre to respond to the pleas within a week. The case has been scheduled for further hearing on 27 September.

Makhija, speaking for the students, highlighted changes in the exam pattern, normalisation of marks, and the lack of clarity regarding the disclosure of answer keys and question papers for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduation (NEET-PG), which was held on 11 August.

She noted that three days before the test, the exam was unexpectedly divided into two parts, leading to confusion. “There needs to be a standardised approach,” she argued, criticising the lack of formal regulations on exam conduct, which currently depends on an easily changeable information bulletin.

In response, the counsel for the NBE dismissed the claims, insisting that nothing new or unusual had been done. However, Chief Justice Chandrachud expressed concern, stating, “It is very unusual... three days before the examinations [the pattern was changed]. Students will have a meltdown.”

The pleas, filed by Ishika Jain and others, call for the release of NEET-PG 2024 answer keys, question papers, and standardisation of marks to ensure transparency. They were last heard on 13 September.

The results, announced on 23 August, have caused concern among students, many of whom received unexpectedly low rankings. After comparing their scores with unofficial answer keys, students have raised suspicions about discrepancies in the ranking process.

They have urged the NBE to release the official answer keys and set up a grievance portal to address their concerns.

Makhija had earlier stressed that without the release of question papers and answer keys, candidates would be unable to assess their performances in a transparent manner.

NEET-PG is held annually for admissions to postgraduate medical and dental courses.