‘No Timeline, No Respect’: NEET PG 2025 Delay Leaves Doctors in Frustration

NEET PG exam was likelt to be held much earlier, but its schedule kept shifting and it was held in August and results were declared on August 19.

Months after National Eligibility cum Entrance Test post graduate, NEET PG, was conducted and its results were announced, thousands of candidates are still waiting for clarity about seat allotments. These doctors are accusing exam authorities of apathy and poor planning.

NEET PG counselling delay debate gained traction after Dr Nachiket Bhatia (@bhatia_nachiket) voiced his anger on X (formerly Twitter). In his post, Bhatia wrote that system “tests doctors’ patience instead of their merit” and that delays have become a yearly ritual. “No timeline. No accountability. No respect,” he said, summing up mood of aspirants who have spent years preparing for postgraduate medical seats.

His post was accompanied by a meme showing a man in a noose with caption ‘First time? Huh?’ — a dark reflection of how many MBBS graduates feel trapped by a process that never seems to run on schedule.

NEET PG- Repeated Delays

NEET PG exam was likelt to be held much earlier in June-July, but its schedule kept shifting and it was held in August and results were declared on August 19.

Despite that, counselling dates are still not out, as a case is pending in Supreme Court. On the other hand, for aspirants, every delay means months without income, uncertainty over future placements, and growing anxiety about academic calendar.

Adding to their concerns was an alleged data leak that surfaced last week. As per reports, details of more than 1.3 lakh candidates were put up for sale online. Many of the aspirants believe that the controversy further slowed down the already delayed process.

Several doctors and aspirants replying to Bhatia’s post, shared their own experiences and anger. Dr Sonu SM (@SonuOriginal) writes: “Doctors are mocked like puppets in this distressful journey. Many are jobless waiting for counselling to start, but NMC is still asleep.”

Another doctor, Dr Shreyansh Goyal (@_shreyanshgoyal), questioned usefulness of legal cases that drag on for months. “Every year, student bodies file petitions. By the time there’s a verdict, the damage is already done,” he said.

Dr Aditya Gautam (@Aditya__gautam) pointed out that silence of medical organisations and distraction of court hearings only make things worse. “It’s a multifactorial mess,” he wrote.

Doctors Demand Timelines, Accountability

With Karnataka extending its counselling registration deadline to October 15, there is still a small window for some candidates, but at national level, headway has stalled. Many aspirants say that without a fixed calendar, each new batch of doctors will continue to face the same uncertainty year after year.

“Doctors dedicate best years of their life to medicine. The least they deserve is a predictable system,” one aspirant said in response to tweet thread.

NEET PG issue has once again raised questions about how National Medical Commission (NMC) and National Board of Examinations (NBE) manage postgraduate admissions.

NBESM has not yet issued an official update about counselling schedule, demand for reform is growing louder. Aspirants are calling for an annual, non-negotiable timeline for the NEET PG cycle, from exam to final admission, to ensure that delays do not derail academic progress.

For many, Dr Bhatia’s line “Respect our time” has now turned into a rallying cry for change.