Today, the Supreme Court rejected a petition requesting the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 examination, slated for August 11, 2024. The petition also contested the National Board of Exams' decision to conduct the exam in two batches and implement a normalization formula.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra declined to entertain the petition.

"So many problems are there in the country, now to reschedule the PG Exam," CJI Chandrachud said as soon as the matter was taken.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the petitioners, noted, "It was rescheduled once," referring to the exam's initial postponement from June 22.

When the bench showed reluctance, Hegde stated that he was focusing solely on the second request: to direct the NBE to conduct the exam in a single batch to ensure a uniform and fair testing environment for all candidates.

The bench noted that only 5 out of more than 200,000 students had filed the petition. In response, Hegde stated that the demand is supported by many students, citing that he has received approximately 50,000 messages backing the request.

"At the behest of 5 petitioners, we can't put the career of 2 lakh students at jeopardy. Let there be certainty," CJI said.

"As a matter of principle, we will not reschedule. There are two lakh students and 4 lakh parents who will weep over the weekend," CJI added.

Regarding the petitioners' concerns about normalization, the Chief Justice acknowledged that normalization might not be a perfect solution. He added that practical solutions should be sought in a complex and diverse society.

The petition raised two primary concerns: First, that many NEET-PG 2024 candidates have been assigned test centers that are difficult for them to reach. Second, that the exam is scheduled to be conducted in two batches, with the normalization formula being unknown to the candidates, which leads to fears of arbitrariness.

In related news, the Supreme Court recently declined to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 exam despite concerns about paper leaks and malpractices. The Court found no evidence that the leak was systemic or compromised the integrity of the entire exam. It also noted that ordering a re-exam would have serious consequences, impacting over 23 lakh students and disrupting the academic schedule with potential cascading effects in future years.