Supreme Court Questions NBEMS Over Non-Disclosure of NEET-PG Questions and Answer Keys
New Delhi, November 2, 2026: The Supreme Court of India has questioned the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) over its policy of withholding actual NEET-PG examination questions while providing candidates with limited answer-key information. The Court has directed NBEMS to submit a detailed written explanation justifying why disclosure of the questions could compromise the integrity of the postgraduate medical entrance examination.
A Bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe was hearing a batch of petitions concerning various issues relating to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG), including demands for greater transparency in the examination evaluation process.
Dispute Over Disclosure of Actual Questions
The controversy arises from the disclosure mechanism adopted by NBEMS, under which candidates can access question identification numbers, their recorded responses, correct-answer information and marks awarded. However, the actual questions and corresponding answer options presented to individual candidates are not disclosed.
The petitioners have argued that merely providing numerical question identifiers and answer information does not allow candidates to independently verify whether their responses have been correctly evaluated. They have sought access to the actual questions, answer options, recorded responses and corresponding correct answers.
Senior Advocate Shikhil Suri, appearing for the petitioners, questioned the rationale behind withholding the actual questions when previous NEET-PG question papers were reportedly available commercially.
NBEMS Defends Its Non-Disclosure Policy
Defending its position, counsel appearing for NBEMS submitted that the question bank for postgraduate medical entrance examinations is limited and constitutes a valuable national asset. According to the examination body, the questions are developed with the assistance of medical experts from across the country and maintaining their confidentiality is necessary to preserve examination standards.
NBEMS further argued that repeatedly disclosing questions could gradually exhaust its limited question bank. It expressed concerns that coaching institutions might compile previously used questions, enabling future candidates to rely on memorisation rather than developing the medical knowledge, analytical ability and clinical understanding required for postgraduate medical education.
Supreme Court Emphasises Examination Transparency
The Bench expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation provided by NBEMS and questioned why NEET-PG should follow a different disclosure standard from other competitive examinations.
Justice P.S. Narasimha raised concerns about transparency and indicated that the examination body needed to provide a stronger justification for its policy.
The Court subsequently directed NBEMS to file written submissions explaining precisely how disclosure of the actual questions could compromise the integrity of postgraduate NEET examinations.
What Happens Next?
The Supreme Court has sought a detailed written response from NBEMS before proceeding further with the issue. The broader legal question concerns the balance between protecting confidential examination material and ensuring that candidates have a meaningful opportunity to verify the correctness of their evaluation.
The development is significant for examination transparency and procedural fairness, particularly for candidates whose postgraduate medical admissions depend on the accuracy of their examination scores and rankings.
Important: The Supreme Court has not, at this stage, directed NBEMS to publish all actual NEET-PG questions. It has sought an explanation from the examination body regarding its non-disclosure policy.