October 10, 2025

In a decisive move to uphold the sanctity of medical entrance examinations, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has annulled the NEET PG results of 22 candidates spanning five years, from 2021 to 2025. The cancellations, attributed to proven instances of malpractice and judicial directives, have cast a spotlight on the ongoing battle against cheating in India’s highly competitive postgraduate medical admissions process. With counselling for NEET PG 2025 set to commence soon, this action underscores NBEMS’s zero-tolerance stance, potentially reshaping seat allocations in prestigious institutions.

Breakdown of Cancellations by Exam Year

The disqualified candidates are distributed across multiple NEET PG sessions, with the majority linked to the most recent exam. Specifically:

• 13 candidates from the 2025 session, held on August 3, 2025, across 1,052 centers in 301 cities.
• 3 candidates from the 2024 session.
• 4 candidates from the 2023 session.
• 1 candidate each from the 2022 and 2021 sessions.

This targeted purge follows rigorous investigations by the NBEMS Examination Ethics Committee, which identified “unfair means” such as cheating, impersonation, and rule violations in 21 cases. The board’s action ensures that only legitimate scores influence admissions, protecting the merit-based system that over 2.42 lakh aspirants rely on annually.

Court Intervention: The Karnataka High Court Case

A pivotal cancellation stems from judicial oversight, highlighting the role of legal recourse in combating exam fraud. Candidate Srusti Bommanahalli Rajanna’s NEET PG 2025 result was voided pursuant to the Karnataka High Court’s order in Writ Petition No. 5785/2025. This case exemplifies growing legal scrutiny on examination irregularities, where writ petitions have compelled NBEMS to revisit and revoke results based on evidence of misconduct. The court’s involvement not only validates the ethics committee’s findings but also sets a precedent for faster resolution of malpractice disputes, deterring potential wrongdoers.

Broader Implications for Postgraduate Admissions

The fallout extends beyond individual disqualifications, rippling through the admissions landscape, particularly in Karnataka—a hub for top-tier medical education. Candidates who secured seats in Bengaluru and Mysuru’s renowned institutions, such as Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) and JSS Medical College, may now face reallocation if their results were among the cancelled ones. NBEMS has explicitly warned that using invalidated scorecards for admissions, employment, or registrations is unlawful, disclaiming all liability for such misuse.

As the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) prepares to launch NEET PG 2025 counselling—tentatively slated for mid-October—these cancellations could trigger minor delays or reshuffles. Over 1.28 lakh candidates qualified this year, with cut-offs at 276 for the general category and 235 for reserved categories, but the integrity drive ensures seats go to the deserving. In parallel, NBEMS has disqualified 11 Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) candidates for similar violations, signaling a comprehensive crackdown across medical licensing exams.

NBEMS’s Commitment to Exam Integrity

NBEMS’s response reflects a multi-layered strategy to safeguard fairness. For NEET PG 2025, the board deployed over 2,200 faculty invigilators nationwide to enforce protocols, alongside routine audits of past results for red flags. “Maintaining integrity and fairness in medical exams is NBEMS’s top concern,” the board stated, pledging continued vigilance. Disqualified candidates retain the right to appeal through courts, though success hinges on overturning ethics committee evidence.

This episode arrives amid broader controversies, including data leaks affecting 1.38 lakh NEET PG aspirants and petitions for full question paper disclosures. As stakeholders—from students to college administrators—navigate these challenges, the cancellations reinforce a core message: ethical standards are non-negotiable in shaping India’s future doctors. For the full list of affected candidates and official updates, visit the NBEMS website.

  Karnataka, medical college, NEETPG, NEETPG25