SC asks NBE to clarify policy on publishing NEET-PG answer keys

The Supreme Court has asked the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to clearly state its position on whether it plans to make answer keys for the NEET-PG exam public, a move that could mark a major shift toward transparency in medical entrance testing.

During a hearing on Nov 7, a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Vipul Pancholi directed the NBE to file an affidavit outlining its official policy on the issue.

The court was hearing a series of petitions that questioned the opacity surrounding the evaluation process of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET-PG).

Advocates representing the petitioners argued that publishing answer keys and raw scores would ensure fairness and help candidates verify their results.

In response, the NBE’s counsel opposed the demand, claiming that the push for disclosure was being driven by coaching centers rather than students.

“These petitions are being pushed by the coaching institutes, as they want to get hold of the answer keys for question booklets,” the NBE lawyer told the bench, cautioning that such access could “compromise the quality of the examination.”

The question of transparency in NEET-PG evaluations has been under judicial scrutiny for several months.

On Sept 26, another bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan had issued notices to both the Centre and the NBE after hearing petitions seeking publication of answer keys for NEET-PG 2025.

Candidates have long raised concerns about the lack of access to answer keys and score normalization details, arguing that it prevents them from understanding how marks are awarded.

Earlier this year, on April 29, the Supreme Court had emphasized the need for openness, directing authorities to disclose raw scores, answer keys, and the normalization formula to ensure credibility in exam results.

The NBE is now expected to submit its affidavit clarifying its stand in the coming weeks.

The court’s decision on the matter could set a precedent for transparency standards in national-level entrance examinations across India.