For most doctors who appeared for NEET PG 2025, the post-exam phase was supposed to be about one thing — waiting. Waiting for ranks, counselling dates, and clarity about the next step in their careers. Instead, many found themselves dealing with a far more unsettling distraction: Strangers calling them, quoting their exam details, and offering “help” with admissions.What initially sounded like routine spam has now snowballed into a much larger controversy.In the past few weeks, several media reports have mentioned that personal data of NEET PG 2025 candidates might be circulating online, and could be sold as ready-made databases to private admission agents and counsellors. The claims have raised uncomfortable questions about how candidate information is handled and how easily it may be slipping out of official control.
What the allegations are about
Various media reports have found that databases being advertised as “NEET PG 2025 student data” have surfaced on websites and private messaging platforms. These listings claim to offer detailed information of candidates who appeared for the postgraduate medical entrance exam.What has alarmed aspirants is the nature of the data being mentioned. According to reports, the information allegedly includes candidate names, parents’ names, phone numbers, email IDs, city and state details, roll numbers, marks and ranks. In short, it goes well beyond what is publicly available.The reports have also mentioned that sellers are charging anywhere between a few thousand rupees and over ₹10,000 for access to these databases, depending on the volume and depth of information promised.
How did candidates realise something was wrong?
For many aspirants, the first red flag came in the form of phone calls, suggest media reports.Doctors who had recently checked their NEET PG results allegedly began receiving calls from private agents claiming they could arrange seats in medical colleges. What made these calls different was the precision. Callers reportedly knew not just the candidates’ names, but their ranks, scores and sometimes even personal details that had been shared only during the application process.As per media accounts, some candidates went on to search online and found listings offering NEET PG 2025 data for sale. In a few cases cited in these reports, candidates whose details appeared in sample datasets confirmed that the information matched their own records.
How NBEMS responded
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which conducts NEET PG exam, has responded to the allegations, according to Medical Dialogues, a media platform primarily known for reporting news related to medical education. The board has stated that it shares candidate data only with authorised bodies such as the Medical Counselling Committee and state counselling authorities, and only for counselling and admission-related purposes.NBEMS has reportedly denied that the data leak occurred at its end. Officials have indicated that if any unauthorised access has taken place, it may have happened after the data was shared with other agencies involved in the counselling process.As reported by Medical Dialogues, NBEMS has submitted a report on the issue to the Union Health Ministry. The issue is still being looked into, and no official decision has been made yet.
Why the issue has struck a nerve
The controversy comes at a moment when digital privacy is under intense scrutiny, especially in exams like NEET PG, where vast amounts of sensitive personal information are collected. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is now in place. So, there is a clear expectation that such information will be kept safe,and shared only through secure channels.If candidate information submitted for NEET PG has indeed been misused, it raises questions that go beyond one exam cycle. Legal experts quoted in many media reports have pointed out that in case of a confirmed breach, scrutiny will be carried out under existing data protection laws.For aspirants, however, the worry is immediate and personal. Unwanted calls, false promises, and the worry of being targeted during counselling have made an already stressful time even harder for them.
Where could the data have leaked from?
So far, there is no official clarity on where the alleged breach occurred. What is evident, as highlighted in various reports, is that NEET PG data does not remain with a single authority.After the results are announced, candidate information is sent to several agencies and platforms for All India Quota and state-level counselling. Each time the data is shared, the risk of it being exposed increases if proper security measures are not in place.The layered nature of the admissions process makes accountability harder to establish — but also harder to ignore.
What are students asking for?
Aspirants quoted across media reports are calling for transparency. Many want authorities to clearly spell out who has access to their data, how long it is retained, and what checks are in place to prevent misuse.There is also growing demand for official warnings against private agents claiming guaranteed seats, particularly when such claims are backed by confidential-looking data.
What happens now
For the moment, the Health Ministry’s review of the report submitted by NBEMS is ongoing. Until official findings are made public, the issue remains driven by candidate accounts and investigative reporting.No matter what the final outcome is, this issue has shown a bigger problem. In exams like NEET PG, trust is very important. Students give their personal information expecting it to be kept safe. When that trust is broken, it doesn’t just affect one exam—it makes people doubt the whole system.
