NEET PG 2023: The Supreme Court of India will tomorrow (February 27) continue hearing petitions challenging the National Board of Examinations (NBE)’s decision to hold NEET PG 2023 in March.
MBBS doctors have requested the top court’s direction to postpone the postgraduate medical entrance test saying there is not enough time for them to prepare for the crucial exam. NEET PG is scheduled for March 5.
Meanwhile, the centre has extended the internship cut-off date multiple times which now makes a larger number of doctors eligible to appear for the exam.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court bench comprising of justices S R Bhat and Dipankar Datta were informed that 2.09 lakh students have registered for NEET PG.
All preparations to hold the exam has been completed and if it has to be postponed, a new date may not be available in the near future, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati argued.
The petitioners submitted that even if NEET PG is held on March 5, counselling can happen only after August 11 – after five months – which is the internship completion deadline set by the centre.
“The date has been extended to August 11. The counselling can happen only after August 11,” senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench, adding that students are undergoing internship for 12 hours a day and there is no time for them to prepare for the exam.
The petitioners said though only 13 of them have approached the court, the issue raised by them affects around 45,000 candidates.
The Supreme Court bench said many students have been preparing for months to write the exam.
“Those who have been preparing for months together, they have to be told to wait,” the bench observed, adding, “For those who are eligible and are waiting, it is torture for them”.
No order was passed in the last hearing and the matter was posted for further hearing on Monday.
“We want an answer. What is the solution for this,” the bench told the ASG, adding, “We are not indicating that it will be postponed…We are not passing any order either way. We are keeping it open.”
(With inputs from PTI)