The Supreme Court on Friday requested a response from the Centre and other concerned parties regarding allegations of an arbitrary and irrational decision to indefinitely postpone the NEET-SS Examination 2024. This decision was made during a meeting on February 21.

The petitioners, a group of 13 doctors including Rahul Balwan, have urged the court to issue a directive to hold the NEET-SS Examination 2024 in July-August 2024. They also seek to overturn the decision made by the National Medical Commission (NMC) during the February 21 meeting, which was communicated through a letter on February 23.

A bench led by the Chief Justice of India has also sought responses from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and the National Medical Commission regarding the plea.

The petitioners, represented by Rashmi Nandakumar, have completed their postgraduate medical education. They argue that the decision to postpone the NEET-SS Examination 2024 is arbitrary and irrational, causing significant disruption to their planned career paths.

The reason cited for the postponement is the delay in the NEET-PG 2021 courses due to COVID-19, which were held from January to May 2022. Consequently, candidates from NEET-PG 2021 would not be eligible for the NEET-SS Examination in 2024.

The petition highlights that the Supreme Court had previously approved a schedule for the completion of admissions to Super Speciality Courses, which required the NEET-SS examination to be held by July 10 each year, with the process completed by August 31.

The petitioners contend that the decision to postpone the examination violates the legitimate expectations of candidates who have planned their careers based on the established schedule. They argue that the NMC is disrupting the academic year to accommodate a single batch of candidates, adversely affecting all other candidates who have completed their postgraduate courses.

If the NEET-SS Examination 2024 is postponed, candidates who have been preparing for the test by leaving their jobs and not taking new assignments will lose an entire year. The abrupt postponement without adequate notice or justification violates the principles of natural justice and causes undue stress and uncertainty for candidates who have made significant personal and professional sacrifices in preparation for the examination.

The petition also claims that this disruption not only affects the doctors but also has a detrimental impact on patient care. The postponement is seen as perpetuating the anomaly caused by the pandemic and will result in the NEET-SS Examination being held out of turn every three years, disrupting the established admission schedule.

The petitioners assert that the NMC must rectify the irregularity in the admission process caused by the pandemic to ensure that the NEET-SS Examination can be conducted without repeatedly disrupting the academic calendar.

Recent Updates:

NEET UG 2024 Supreme Court Hearing Live: Updates on Paper Leak Allegations

Supreme Court to Hear 40 Pleas on NEET-UG 2024 Controversy Today

NEET-UG 2024: Supreme Court Postpones Hearing on Irregularities to July 18