Supreme Court refers NEET-PG re-exam challenge to designated bench

A plea challenging the re-examination for 2,445 candidates affected by technical disruptions during the NEET-PG 2026 examination was mentioned before the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The matter was brought before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, with an advocate arguing that the re-test was contrary to an earlier order of the court and seeking an urgent hearing.

The bench, however, directed the lawyer to approach the designated bench headed by Justice P S Narasimha, which is hearing all NEET-related matters. "All NEET matters are before the designated bench led by Justice Narasimha. Go and mention it before that bench. Several developments take place in these matters," the bench said.

Background: Technical disruption and the re-exam decision

The legal challenge comes after the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) announced a re-examination for candidates who were unable to complete the NEET-PG 2026 examination due to technical problems at two centres in Jaipur. The exam was conducted on August 30 across the country.

According to official figures, 2,73,096 candidates were scheduled to appear at 1,111 centres across 339 cities and all 36 States and Union Territories. A total of 2,65,980 candidates appeared, with 2,63,535 successfully completing the test. However, 2,445 candidates could not complete the examination at the iON Digital Zone Sitapura centres in Jaipur due to an internal power supply disruption.

NBEMS subsequently announced that the affected candidates would be given another opportunity. The re-examination is scheduled for September 5, 2026, at 3 PM in Jaipur, with venue details to be communicated separately.

The petitioner has questioned whether conducting a separate test for the affected candidates is consistent with the Supreme Court’s earlier directions. The plea argued that the re-test violates an earlier direction of the court.

Current status

The latest hearing did not result in any stay or cancellation of the proposed re-examination. The court only directed the advocate to take the plea before the designated bench dealing with NEET matters, meaning candidates affected by the technical disruption will need to wait for further directions from the Supreme Court and NBEMS on the re-examination.