NEET-PG Exam: SC rejects application for postponement of exam

The Supreme Court has rejected an application to suspend the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG) for postgraduate medical examinations. The Supreme Court has said that thousands of students who have registered for the exams will be affected.

The court further said that delay in conducting the examination would lead to further shortage of resident doctors in the hospital, the bar and bench reported. A two-judge bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachur and Surya Kant said, “NEET-PG will be held on May 21. How can we suspend it? Just to avoid some element of your client’s trouble, can we hurt all the other candidates who are ready? How are we? ”

The apex court has further maintained that if the government decides to suspend the examination, it is OK but the SC cannot pass such instructions. It commented, “If the government takes a call, that’s fine, but we can’t intervene … NEET 2022 is an independent test. It has nothing to do with 2021.”

Senior Advocate Rakesh Kumar Khanna, who was present on behalf of the petitioners, raised the issue of delay in NEET 2021 counseling and it has put many candidates at a disadvantage. In this regard, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) said that more than two lakh candidates have registered for the examination.

Senior Counsel P Wilson also called for the exams to be postponed, saying that if NEET 2021 and 2022 students were admitted at the same time, there could be an infrastructural crisis. He said, “There was no deadline for 2022. Now there is a clash again. Everyone has forgotten about the infrastructural facilities available in the college. Where will the infrastructure be when 2021 and 2022 students study together?

Earlier this week, the apex court agreed to hear the doctors’ plea to suspend the NEET-PG 2022 exam scheduled for May 21, as it would conflict with NEET-PG 2021 counseling.