Supreme Court on NEET-SS exam: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition regarding the NEET Super Specialty (NEET-SS) exam. The petition challenged the decision of the National Medical Commission (NMC) not to conduct the NEET-Super Specialty exam this year. The apex court dismissed the petition saying that the decision to cancel the exam was ‘quite justified’ and not ‘arbitrary’. However, the court has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to issue a notice of the exam date within 30 days.
Hearing the petition, a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra refused to interfere in the decision not to conduct the exam. The court has directed NMC to release the exam date within thirty days. According to media reports, NEET-SS exam may be held in January 2025.
What is NEET-SS exam?
Before understanding this matter, it is also very important to understand what is NEET-SS exam? This exam is conducted for those doctors who have obtained postgraduate degrees like MD, MS or DNB and now want to take admission in super specialty courses. It is especially important for those doctors who want to add a new dimension to their medical career. It is through this exam that one gets admission in super specialty courses like cardiology, neurology, oncology etc. available in various medical colleges of the country.
What is the matter?
Actually, the NEET-SS exam was to be held in August but NMC cancelled it. During the hearing on Wednesday, the petitioner’s lawyer argued in the court that the exam should have been held in August, if this exam is delayed, then the exam will have to be conducted twice next year.
What did NMC say?
According to a report by news agency PTI, the NMC said that postgraduate medical courses that began in 2022 instead of 2021 due to COVID-19 will end in January 2025. If NEET-SS is held this year, these students will be deprived of the opportunity to appear in this exam. The NMC further said that every year only 40 per cent of the participants who appear for the NEET SS exam are from the previous graduation batch and the remaining 60 per cent are candidates who have already obtained their postgraduate degree.
What did the Supreme Court say on the NEET-SS case?
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court also asked the NMC to schedule the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Specialty (NEET-SS) early next year. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed the medical body to release the schedule of the exam within thirty days.
“Students selected from the 2021 PG batch (whose courses commenced in January 2022 and will end in January 2025) will be deprived of the opportunity to compete. This will result in a situation where two batches of candidates will compete for the same seat in the NEET-SS 2025 exam. Therefore, it is not possible to reject the arguments of the NMC,” the bench was quoted as saying in a PTI report. The bench said the petitioners have already taken the NEET-SS exam and hence will not suffer any loss.
“On the other hand, if NEET-SS is held in 2024, a situation will arise where students who pass in January 2025 will be deprived of appearing in the NEET-SS examination. Therefore, the decision of the NMC is well justified and cannot be termed as arbitrary,” the bench said while dismissing the plea. On July 19, the apex court had issued notice to the NMC on a plea filed by 13 doctors, including Rahul Balwan.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)