Date: July 19, 2024
The Supreme Court has requested responses from the Centre, Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), and the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding a plea challenging the decision to not conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) in 2024. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on July 26, 2024.
Key Points:
- NEET-SS Overview: The NEET-SS is an examination for doctors with post-graduate degrees such as MD, MS, and DNB, or equivalent qualifications, seeking admission to super-speciality courses.
- Petition: A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was informed that the NMC has decided not to hold the NEET-SS exam this year. The petition was filed by Rahul Balwan and 12 other aspirants.
- Next Exam: Reports suggest that NEET-SS might be conducted in January 2025.
- Court’s Action: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, MCC, and NMC. Petitioners have also been granted permission to include the National Board of Examinations (NBE) as a party to the petition.
- Petitioners’ Argument:
- Annual Exam Requirement: The petitioners referenced a prior judgment stating that NEET-SS must be held annually. They argue that the postponement violates the fixed schedule for super-speciality course admissions.
- Covid-19 Impact: The delay in the exam is attributed to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected medical course admissions.
The Supreme Court will review the responses and consider the implications for the examination schedule and the impact on aspiring super-speciality candidates.
