Doctors’ bodies have raised serious concerns over the conduct of NEET PG 2025, alleging administrative lapses, lack of transparency and policy inconsistencies by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) said over two lakh aspirants were affected by what it called systemic failures throughout the exam and counselling process.
FORDA criticised the initial two-shift exam format, calling it unfair due to varying difficulty levels and a non-transparent normalisation process. The Supreme Court later termed the format arbitrary, leading to the exam being postponed by two months to August 3, adding to candidates’ stress, financial burden and career uncertainty.
The association also flagged issues after the exam, including the non-release of provisional answer keys, unexplained disqualification of 22 candidates, distant exam centre allocations that increased costs, and prolonged delays in counselling. According to FORDA, counselling stretched over 110 days, leaving seats vacant and worsening staff shortages in hospitals.
Fresh controversy erupted in January 2026 when NBEMS reportedly reduced cut-offs to zero or even negative percentiles in later counselling rounds, a move FORDA described as damaging to merit and standards.
FORDA said the mismanagement not only harmed aspirants but also impacted patient care and the healthcare system at large. It has demanded accountability and reforms from NBEMS and the Union Health Ministry to ensure fairness, transparency and predictability in future NEET PG exams.
