Emphasizing that normalization is an internationally accepted practice, Dr. Gangadhar told Education Times that it is a standard method used worldwide to determine all-India ranks, assuring candidates that there is no reason for concern.

The controversy arose after the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) announced that the NEET-PG 2025 exam would be conducted in two shifts on June 15, 2025. The first shift is scheduled from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, while the second shift will take place from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This decision has sparked dissatisfaction among medical aspirants, particularly due to apprehensions about the fairness of the normalization technique.

Although normalization was introduced in NEET-PG 2024 to standardize scores across different shifts, critics have argued that the method is flawed. Many candidates from the second shift in NEET-PG 2024 claimed that their paper was significantly more difficult than the first shift, leading to unfair score adjustments. Some even accused the examination board of unfair practices, arguing that the ranking system was biased. These concerns were brought before the Supreme Court, where petitioners demanded greater transparency in the NEET-PG scoring process.

A legal plea seeking the release of the NEET-PG 2024 answer key and increased transparency in the postgraduate medical entrance examination is scheduled for a Supreme Court hearing today.

Addressing these concerns, Dr. Gangadhar reiterated that normalization is a globally accepted practice. Speaking to Education Times, he explained, “Many other exams use normalization to determine all-India ranks. Conducting exams in smaller batches makes monitoring and supervision easier. It is a time-tested method, and experts are managing the examination process. There is no need for concern.”

Dr. Gangadhar also commented on the delay in the NEET-PG 2024 admission process. Although the exam was held on August 11, 2024, in two shifts and results were declared the same month, the admission process remains incomplete.

According to him, the delay is primarily due to ongoing legal proceedings. “The number of aspirants for postgraduate courses has increased significantly over the past decade. New seats are being added to accommodate more applicants. At some point, the number of PG seats will match the number of students passing out. However, delays occur due to factors like candidates reapplying after backing out or seeking legal intervention,” he stated.

Apart from the pending plea seeking the release of the NEET-PG answer key, various other legal matters concerning postgraduate medical admissions have been addressed by the Supreme Court and High Courts across the country in recent months. These include cases related to domicile-based reservations, demands for greater transparency in the NEET-PG 2025 examination, and requests for fresh counseling in the third round due to alleged seat blocking.

As the debate over the normalization process continues, medical aspirants eagerly await clarity on whether additional measures will be taken to ensure fairness in the NEET-PG 2025 examination.