NEET PG 2025 exam centre chaos: Aspirants decry cross-state allotments, urgent intervention sought
NEET PG Exam Centre
New Delhi: With just one week left until the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 Examination, scheduled for August 3, 2025, candidates for the PG medical entrance test are concerned about the allocation of exam centres.
Confusions regarding the exam centre allocation began when aspirants from States like Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu were allotted centres in their neighbouring states.
Therefore, such candidates will have to travel for hours just to reach the exam centre and appear in the NEET PG 2025 exam. Upset over such allocations, candidates and their parents have now taken to social media platforms to express their grievances.
Meanwhile, highlighting the problems faced by the aspirants, doctors' associations, including Tamil Nadu Resident Doctors' Association (TNRDA), United Doctors Front (UDF), and Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors' Network (IMA-JDN), have urged the authorities to reconsider their decision regarding centre allocations and allow such candidates to choose nearby centres.
Also Read: Tharoor Urges Health Minister to Add More NEET PG Exam Centres in Kerala
Situation in Tamil Nadu:
As per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, around 1,000 aspirants from Tamil Nadu have been allotted exam centres outside the State, informed the General Secretary of the Doctors' Association for Social Equality, Dr. G R Ravindranath. He said, "Over 60,000 candidates from Tamil Nadu apply for NEET-PG annually. There are enough government and private medical colleges to accommodate them. The state must intervene and stress for re-allotment of centres."
He pointed out that the long-distance travel to reach the exam centres is especially challenging for women candidates, who often have to arrange for an accompanying person, adding further financial burden.
NBEMS data reveals that the tentative NEET-PG 2025 exam centre list includes 24 centres across Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Madurai, Krishnagiri, and Karur. This year, more than 2.42 lakh candidates registered for the NEET PG exam.
Aspirants from Tamil Nadu claimed that despite repeated representations, the National Board of Examinations has continued the practice of allotting exam centres in Andhra Pradesh.
In an X post, the parent of a NEET PG aspirant from Tamil Nadu wrote, "My daughter NEET PG entrance exam centre alloted is SATHUPALLY in Telungana state near Chatisgarh border. There is no direct transport from Tamil Nadu state. We need five working days to appear the entrance exam and financial burden. NBEMS not planning anything bad administration."
Highlighting the issue, Tamil Nadu Resident Doctors Association (TNRDA) issued a Press Release demanding immediate action on the NEET-PG 2025 centre chaos and urged authorities to increase exam centre and ensure a transparent allocation process.
"The Tamil Nadu Resident Doctors Association (TNRDA) expresses serious concern over the disturbing irregularities in the NEET-PG 2025 exam centre allotment conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Despite following protocol and selecting three preferred cities within Tamil Nadu, thousands of NEET-PG aspirants have been forcibly allotted centres in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, or Karnataka—completely disregarding their original choices," TNRDA mentioned in the release.
The association pointed out that students who selected Tamil Nadu cities such as Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore were denied centres in their State and were allotted to faraway cities in other States. However, the association claimed that even early applicants were not granted preferred cities, and several candidates were notified only of the State, not the city, until the last moment.
"The allotment process has led to heightened mental stress, especially among female and rural candidates who now face long-distance travel and safety concerns," mentioned the association, while highlighting that NBE in its notice dated 07.06.2025 had promised that more cities would be added, city selection would be on first-come first-serve basis, and candidates would be able to see only cities where seats are available. However, TNRDA claimed that the reality has exposed a complete mismatch between policy and implementation.
Amid this situation, the association has demanded an increase in the number of exam centres within each State, especially Tamil Nadu, to accommodate all local applicants. Further, the association has urged the authorities to ensure city-level allotment transparency and prevent cross-state postings unless consented by the candidate.
Apart from this, the association has also requested to allow re-allotment or correction window for affected aspirants immediately, publication of a city-wise seat matrix to justify the allotment process, and establishment of a dedicated grievance redressal helpline with swift resolution.
"NEET-PG candidates represent the future of India’s healthcare system. Subjecting them to chaotic logistics and mental exhaustion in the name of “technical limitations” is unjust and unacceptable. The TNRDA urges the Union Health Ministry and NBEMS to act responsibly and restore fairness to the NEET-PG 2025 process—before it causes more harm," TNRDA added in the release.
Last year, candidates in Tamil Nadu were allotted centres far away from their hometowns. Back then, MP R Sachithanantham and Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor had raised the issue before the Union Health Ministry, and consequently, many candidates previously allotted centres in Andhra Pradesh were reassigned centres within Tamil Nadu.
Hundreds of Candidates in Kerala Have to Travel Hours to Reach Exam Centre:
Around 20,000 to 24,000 students from Kerala appear for NEET PG exam every year. There are 13 exam centres in the State for conducting the online exam. Therefore, many students end up travelling to neighbouring Tamil Nadu to write the exam.
The Hindu has reported that hundreds of NEET-PG aspirants from Kerala have to travel more than a thousand km to appear in the NEET-PG entrance test this year as they have been allotted exam centres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In some cases, candidates have been allotted in cities they have not even heard of. Therefore, they are anxious and stress over the travel and lodging arrangements that they would have to make to appear for the exam.
Students have now formed WhatsApp groups and made representations to the NBEMS through members of the Parliament and the Indian Medical Association.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had requested Union Health Minister last month to intervene in the issue of exam centre allocation as MP Tharoor highlighted that the aspirants in Kerala, who are appearing in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination, could not opt for any exam centres within their State.
Tharoor had pointed out that all the available seats in Kerala were exhausted within minutes of the website reopening. Pointing out that the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) was already aware of the number of NEET PG applicants from Kerala, and therefore it was 'unfair' on NBE's part to restrict the number of centres in the State.
Karnataka Students Face Similar Issues:
Reportedly, several candidates from Karnataka are also facing similar problems as they been allotted exam centres in other States. Raising the issue, the Twitter handle named Indian Doctor mentioned in an X post, "Serious Issue with #NEETPG Exam Centre Allocation Candidates who opted for centres in #Kerala & #Karnataka have been shockingly allotted exam #Andhra & #Telangana ! What is NBEMS even doing? It’s harassment of already stressed medical aspirants."
Reacting to the post, a NEET PG aspirant claimed being allotted centre in Andhra Pradesh despite opting for Bangalore as a preference.
Highlighting the grievances of the aspirants, Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Kota Srinivas Poojary on Thursday, July 24, sought the Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda's intervention regarding the issue, especially for women candidates, who have been allotted centres at far-off and unfamiliar places, The Hindu has reported.
Writing to the Health Minister, the MP said that while the candidates received information about the cities where their exams would be held, exact exam centres and hall tickets are still pending. He wrote, "This uncertainty, coupled with allocation of cities far from home States, has triggered significant logistical and safety concerns, particularly for women aspirants who now have to travel long distances under tight timelines."
To resolve the issue, Mr. Poojary suggested allowing multiple city preferences during centre allocation, ensuring at least one option from the candidate's home State and prioritising safer and nearby centres for women wherever possible. He said that such measures would greatly ease travel pressure, enhance safety and provide a fair exam environment.
Representations from Doctors' Association:
Requesting reconsideration of NEET PG 2025 exam centre allotments, the Indian Medical Association - Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) recently wrote to the Union Health Minister J P Nadda and NBEMS.
In the letter, the association highlighted the growing distress among candidates regarding the allotment of exam centres for NEET PG 2025. "We have received numerous representations from students across various states reporting that, despite opting for centres in their home states, they have been allotted exam centres in entirely different and far-off states. This has caused immense anxiety and inconvenience, especially for candidates from economically weaker sections, female aspirants, and those residing in remote or rural areas," it mentioned.
"This has also created an unfair disparity between candidates where some students are able to appear for the exam in nearby cities, while others are forced to undertake expensive and strenuous travel to unfamiliar locations. This is not just a logistical issue but a matter of equity and mental well-being, particularly in such a high-stakes exam," the association added.
Accordingly, the association urged the Minister to direct NBEMS to immediately reopen the exam centre change portal for affected candidates, allowing them to select centres within their home state or nearest possible location. Further, the association has also urged the Minister to ensure that the students are not subjected to undue travel stress, especially when it could affect their performance and opportunity in this once-a-year examination.
Raising the issue, United Doctors Front (UDF) has further written to the NBEMS President and urged the body to reconsider the exam centre allocation. "NBEMS has responsibility to take care of the convenience of the students and prepare its plan suitable for all. But after unpopular step to conduct in two shift (which was held after decision from the Hon. Supreme Court), another disturbing step has been emerged. Thousands of NEET PG aspirants are in distress due to irrational allotment of examination centres. Lot of our members as well Aspirants of this examination to be held on third of August 2025 from various states have been allotted exam centres in far-off cities states. Since they have already opted their choices for centres in their home states, this is surprising to see the allocation of distant centres. It is more inconvenient for the candidates from PwD category as well for female and economically weaker sections. Getting reservations for railway seat in a short period for distant cities is also difficult for most of our members," the association mentioned in the letter.
"Therefore, United Doctors Front is requesting you to reopen the exam centre change portal and allowing such candidates to select nearby centres. Otherwise, undue travel stress may divert their attention and their prospects for getting better ranks may harm. In the era of modern science, AI and algorithm based data processing, this is not difficult to allot the nearest centres to the candidates who have already filled their choice. Kindly listen the voice of thousands of aspirants and act accordingly," it added.
