NEET PG 2022: SC says 'can't interfere', allows aspirants to request Centre to extend internship deadline

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today heard the plea seeking extension of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test postgraduate (NEET PG 2022) internship deadline and said it cannot interfere since it's a "policy domain". However, asked NEET PG 2022 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.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said that looking at the hardship faced by the aspirants, the MoHFW may decide on the representation within one week from the date of its submission.

According to Bar and Bench, the apex court observed, "One of the grounds why this plea under Article 32 was moved because there was a clash of NEET PG 2021 Counselling and NEET PG 2022 exam and this has been resolved due to exams being postponed. Since issues raised will involve determination of facts and entering policy domain."

"Ends of justice will be met by making a representation to health ministry showing the hardship being faced by students. We request representation be considered expeditiously from one week upon receiving it," the top court said, as per the report.

Mukul Rohatgi, the senior counsel, submitted that states have different dates for the commencement of the internship and many of those dates would end beyond the cut-off which has been prescribed, resulting in the loss of a year.

“This May 31, the deadline can be extended by a month or two”, he said.

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The bench said that it would be like stepping into the policy decision as there is no uniform date for commencement of the internship. “Suppose, even if we extend the May 31, deadline by a month or two, there may be a group of students who still miss out on the one-year deadline. It is more of a policy decision, let the government consider your representation”, the bench said.

A petition filed on January 25 by six MBBS graduates claimed that many MBBS graduates would not be able to take up the examination due to non-completion of the mandatory internship period.

Advocate Charu Mathur, for the petitioners, told Careers360, "Though the NEET PG exam gets deferred by six to eight weeks, key issue regarding internship remains to be resolved. Following PM Narendra Modi's assurance, doctors did 100 days of Covid-19 duty and selflessly submitted to call of nation but this disrupted their internship. Internship is for one year and as per info bulletin it is to be completed by May 31. This is practically not possible as they were in COVID duty. However, I'm sure that this issue will also get resolved."

Afte the Centre postponed NEET PG 2022, the NBE released the revised schedule. As per the new dates, NEET PG 2022 exam will now be conducted on May 21. Candidates can now apply for the NEET PG 2022 exam till March 25, 2022, at nbe.edu.in.