For thousands of doctors, the period after the NEET PG 2025 exam should have been a time of anxious waiting for ranks and counselling. Instead, it has turned into a nightmare of privacy invasion and harassment. Aspirants are reporting disturbing phone calls from strangers who possess their detailed exam and personal information, offering dubious 'help' with admissions.
The Alleged Data Sale and Its Chilling Details
Multiple media investigations have uncovered that databases labelled as 'NEET PG 2025 student data' are being advertised for sale on various online platforms and private messaging groups. The sellers are reportedly charging between a few thousand rupees to over ₹10,000 for these lists.
The information being sold is alarmingly comprehensive. It allegedly goes far beyond public rank lists and includes sensitive details like candidate names, parents' names, personal phone numbers, email addresses, city and state information, roll numbers, marks, and ranks. This depth of data suggests a leak from official channels, not mere speculation.
How Candidates Discovered the Breach
The first sign of trouble for many doctors was a personalized phone call. Shortly after checking their results, aspirants began receiving calls from private agents promising guaranteed seats in medical colleges. The callers demonstrated precise knowledge, citing not just names but also ranks, scores, and other application-specific details that are not publicly available.
This prompted some vigilant candidates to search online, where they found listings offering the NEET PG 2025 data for sale. In several cases reported by media, candidates even confirmed that sample datasets perfectly matched their own private information, confirming their worst fears.
Official Response and the Blame Game
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the body that conducts NEET PG, has officially responded to the allegations. As reported by Medical Dialogues, the board has denied that the data leak originated from its systems.
NBEMS stated that it shares candidate data only with authorized bodies like the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and state counselling authorities, strictly for admission purposes. Officials have indicated that if a breach occurred, it might have happened after the data was shared with these downstream agencies involved in the layered counselling process. The board has submitted a report on the issue to the Union Health Ministry, where the matter remains under review.
Why This Breach Is a Major Red Flag
This controversy strikes at a critical time when India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is in effect, raising clear expectations for the security of sensitive information. The incident exposes the vulnerabilities in a system where candidate data is shared across multiple platforms for All India and state-level counselling, increasing the risk points for exposure.
For aspirants, the implications are immediate and stressful. Beyond the harassment of unsolicited calls, there is a genuine fear of being targeted by fraudsters during the crucial counselling phase. The breach erodes the fundamental trust students place in the system when they submit their most personal details.
Students are now demanding greater transparency from authorities. They want clear answers on who accesses their data, how long it is stored, and what safeguards are in place. There is also a rising call for official warnings against agents making false promises backed by illicit data.
While the Health Ministry's investigation continues, this episode has highlighted a systemic flaw. In high-stakes exams like NEET PG, protecting candidate data is not just a procedural requirement but a cornerstone of integrity. A single breach can undermine public confidence in the entire medical admissions ecosystem.
