Waiting For A Future: How System Delays Derail NEET PG Students’ Dreams, Families And Futures

India’s most competitive examinations— the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) isn’t just another test; it’s the bridge between years of preparation and a lifelong calling to serve in medicine.

But in recent years, this bridge has become increasingly unstable. Paper leaks, postponements to court battles and delayed counseling, layered on the uncertainty that aspirants have had to endure. The NEET PG 2024 cycle alone witnessed last-minute changes that left students stranded across cities, questioning not just the process but the system itself.

Behind every postponed notification lies a story of mounting anxiety. “Each delay is not just a date change, it’s a dagger into the heart of every young doctor’s stability,” said Dr Arun Kumar, National General Secretary of the United Doctors Front and an aspiring MD Medicine student.

“NEET PG examinees are not just students; they’re full-fledged doctors in their late 20s or early 30s, with families, spouses, and sometimes even retired parents who depend on them. When delays happen, the impact isn’t just academic, it’s financial and emotional,” said Dr Rohan Krishnan, Medical Activist & Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Gap Years, Lost Momentum And The Price Of Patience

Gap years stretch longer. Coaching renewals drain resources. Rented rooms in faraway cities pile up bills. Some students, having already taken education loans, now pay EMIs for qualifications that remain on pause.

“We pay rent in cities we no longer need to live in, EMIs for loans taken to study medicine, and fees to coaching institutes that profit from uncertainty. Many of us have turned down job opportunities waiting for ‘the next notification’. The financial bleed is continuous and merciless. What was a dream to serve the nation has turned into a waiting room of debt and despair,” Dr Kumar shared.

“I’ve had to go back to the primitive method of asking money from my elder brother just to survive and it’s not okay. At this age, we’re expected to provide for our families, not depend on them. My parents keep waiting for the day I’ll finally start working and contribute to the family income,” Dr Shakir, 25, from Azamgarh shared. He wants to pursue MS Orthopaedics. “The burnout is real. After doing nothing ‘doctorish’ for months, I don’t even feel like a doctor anymore.”

“Our legal framework offers limited remedies for the financial losses students suffer. Courts tend to focus on systemic correction, not compensation. But we are arguing that these disruptions violate Article 21- the right to life and dignity. The testing authorities owe students a duty of care. A 24-hour notice for a center change or postponement days before the exam isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a breach of trust,” said Satyam Singh, legal advisor, United Doctors Front. He proposes statutory timelines, minimum notice periods, and compensation mechanisms to make institutions accountable. “Education is not a favour from the state; it’s a right,” he adds.

“Doctors with disabilities face repeated re-assessments in different states despite valid government certificates,” Dr Satendra Singh, medical activist with disability rights advocacy experience, said. “Wheelchair-user doctors face additional challenges: railway stations are inaccessible and neither public nor private transportation is disability-friendly. Even after reaching the centre, it’s not a one-day affair. Some centres like RML in Delhi have even displayed notices outside the clinical psychologist’s office stating that NEET candidates are not welcome.”

“My daughter’s NEET PG center was changed at the last minute. We spent over Rs 25,000 just to reach the new city. These aren’t minor inconveniences — they expose a policy paralysis. The delays are symptoms of a deeper decay in our institutions,” Dr Vishnu Rajgadia, RTI expert and aggrieved NEET PG aspirant’s parent shared his ordeal.

“Students from smaller towns or lower-income families face the harshest impact. The costs of travel, stay, and preparation are enormous, and there’s no institutional mechanism to protect them from such losses,” Dr Krishnan shared. “I remember one of my juniors whose father was a fruit vendor. The day before his NEET PG exam, which was postponed at the last minute, he called me in distress. He had borrowed money, spent nearly Rs 20,000–Rs 30,000 on travel and accommodation to reach his exam city and then learned that the test was cancelled. Many like him even reached their centers before realising the exam had been postponed.”

“It affected me deeply, especially because I quit a well-paying job to prepare for this exam and joined an offline coaching institute. I had saved enough to stay stress-free until June or July — after that, it started getting difficult,” a 26-year-old aspirant from Jharkhand said. “Even after the exams ended in August, employers hesitate to shortlist you if they know you might leave once you get a seat. The uncertainty makes it impossible to plan anything. For mid-rankers like me, every delay feels like being stuck between two worlds— you can’t move forward, but you can’t give up either.”

The Consistent System Of Inconsistency

According to a review of NEET PG counselling timelines between 2019 and 2025 by The Indian Express, a consistent pattern of delays was found, with gaps between result announcements and counselling stretching from over 40 days in 2019 to as high as 135 days in 2023. Even after the COVID-19 disruption, delays continued due to legal challenges, administrative inefficiencies, and court interventions over quota and transparency issues. These recurring lags show that the system’s instability is no longer an exception — it’s the norm.

The report claimed that 2019 was the last time NEET PG counselling followed a stable timeline.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which is the body in-charge of handling the counselling process for admissions, did not respond to NDTV Profit's requests for comment by the time of publishing this report.

Experts point to a web of reasons behind the recurring chaos— administrative inefficiency, poor coordination, legal loopholes and a lack of accountability. According to several media reports, NEET PG witnessed multiple rescheduling, impacting lakhs of aspirants in the past few years. Many also raised concerns regarding the two-shift formats among other issues faced by students.

“Calling it mere inefficiency would be too charitable,” said Singh. “It’s systemic negligence. There’s no accountability, no transparency, and no consequence for the distress caused.” Singh calls for binding deadlines, transparent communication, and personal accountability of officials responsible for mismanagement. “The absence of student-centric thinking is the root cause.”

“It may not be feasible for the authorities to reimburse every student or provide tickets, but at the very least, these last-minute changes must stop. Administrative accountability is the only real solution — so that such postponements don’t happen in the first place,” Dr Krishnan asserted.

“Because of so much uncertainty and the constant dilemma over decisions, I’ve ended up paying — between last year and this year — seven extra months of rent for my room and library space,” said a 29-year-old aspirant from Ambikapur, who has been giving NEET PG for the past four years. “All this has happened with no income, at an age when I have major responsibilities. Who wouldn’t face strain or financial crisis in such a situation? Only my family’s support, their hope, and understanding have kept me going. I’ve lost my momentum, my enthusiasm, and even my confidence because of these postponements. I truly believe that if the exams hadn’t been delayed, things would have turned out much better for me.”

Despite the despair, many students cling to hope — not just for results, but for reform. They demand a transparent, time-bound, and humane examination process.

“Our fight in the Supreme Court isn't just about one examination or one year—it's about establishing precedents that will protect future generations of students from this systemic apathy. Every postponement, every last-minute change, every communication failure represents a breach of trust and a violation of fundamental rights,” Singh reaffirmed.