NEET PG 2022: Plea in Supreme Court to extend internship deadline beyond July 31

NEW DELHI: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2022 aspirants have filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking extension of internship deadline beyond July 31, as per Live Law. The plea has been filed for candidates to accommodate interns whose internship got delayed due to COVID-19 duties.

Petitioners have also sought a relief to permit the candidates who fail to complete internship to apply for the NEET PG 2022 exam if eligible as per the criteria, the report said.

Also Read | NEET PG 2022: Application correction window opens today; steps to edit

The plea has further sought a relief to exclude the period when the candidate served in COVID-19 duties from the one-year internship period, as per the report. The petitioners argued that the revised internship deadline to July 31 still leaves several candidates ineligible for NEET PG 2022 exam especially those from Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala among other states.

"The same will not only unjustly deprive the candidates from applying for NEET-PG 2022-23 exam but will also lead to wastage of the entire year," said the plea.

The aspirants argued that neither the National Board of Examinations (NBE) nor the colleges informed them that serving in COVID-19 duties would affect their internship completion process and cause a delay in its commencement. The plea said that the candidates made informal enquiries from the colleges which assured them that it would not affect their eligibility for NEET PG 2022 registration.

Also Read | NEET MDS 2022: Supreme Court dismisses plea to extend internship deadline beyond July 31

“However, the candidates were shocked to note that they will not be able to register for NEET PG 2022-23 with the current deadline of July 31, 2022 as the internship deadline,” the plea further said.

In February, NBE extended the deadline of internship completion for NEET PG 2022 to July 31. The Supreme Court on February 8 heard the plea seeking extension of the NEET PG 2022 internship deadline and said it cannot interfere since it's a "policy domain". However, the top court asked medical aspirants to make a representation before the Centre seeking an extension of the May 31 deadline to complete the internship since they were in COVID duties in 2021.