Is NEET PG 2024 admission fair? Supreme Court yet to decide; cases in 5 states

NEW DELHI: Over 100 days have passed since the NBEMS declared NEET PG results 2024, but the Supreme Court is yet to make a decision on the result transparency case. Aspirants are miffed at the medical board and top court as the NEET PG SC hearing has been postponed again for the sixth time. Separate court cases have also been filed in five states, further hindering the NEET PG counselling process.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG 2024) is held to determine eligibility for admission into MD, MS, and PG diploma courses. Students have been voicing their concerns regarding last-minute changes, far-off exam centres, and technical issues since the announcement of the exam date. Subsequently, controversies erupted after the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) refused to share the exam content or make answer keys public.

Candidates who appeared in the NEET PG exam this year continued to demand for the NEET PG answer key and question paper as there was no clarity on the normalisation method used to prepare results. Notably, a day before the exam, the NBE announced the decision to adopt the normalisation method used by AIIMS New Delhi to prepare the results for NEET PG. However, there was no further clarification regarding the method used to ensure fairness and equity in the exam held in multiple shifts.

Also read NEET PG results 2024 raise questions on transparency: here’s why aspirants moved Supreme Court

How is NEET PG raw score different from percentile?

NEET PG score vs percentile - Unlike previous years, the NBE conducted the entrance exam in two shifts. Hence, to ensure fair assessment of participants across all shifts by adjusting difficulty levels using percentile equivalence, the normalisation method was adopted.

The NEET PG percentile score is the relative performance of all those who appear for the examination. The marks obtained by candidates are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each shift, the NBEMS said.

The NBEMS prepares the state merit list separately, as the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is responsible for 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats, and the remaining seats are filled by the respective state counselling committees. The NEET PG score 2024 is used for allocating seats in government, deemed universities, and other participating medical colleges.

Updates on the court cases filed in the five states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, and Maharashtra - are listed below.

Rajasthan NEET PG counselling 2024

A total of 45 doctors approached the Jodhpur High Court claiming that candidates who secured lesser marks were considered for admission over those who had secured more marks and stood higher in the merit list.

The court took note of the technical and procedural errors in the provisional state merit list published on November 22. Referring to the MP NEET PG hearing, the counsel also submitted that a similar type of error has been committed by various states’ counselling boards.

The Rajasthan High Court will next hear the matter on December 5. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan NEET PG counselling 2024 has been put on hold.

Madhya Pradesh NEET PG counselling 2024

The Jabalpur High Court in Madhya Pradesh was hearing the NEET PG petitions filed by Dr Abhishek Shukla and others seeking NEET PG answer key, details on normalisation method, and state merit list for in-service candidates. The interim stay order will be effective until a decision is arrived at.

It has also directed the NBEMS to provide the calculation sheets regarding in-service candidates and posted the hearing to December 5.

Maharashtra NEET PG counselling 2024

The petitioner Ashishkumar Ashokkumar Patni alleged errors in the state merit list. Hearing the case, the court directed the state government and the counselling committee to coordinate with the NBEMS and prepare the correct merit list to prevent wrongful admission.

The court listed the matter for hearing on December 6. In the interim order, the high court informed that the admission of the petitioner will be subject to the final order of this writ petition.

Telangana NEET PG counselling 2024

A division bench of Telangana High Court (HC), led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, is hearing 86 pleas challenging an amendment to Telangana’s Postgraduate Medical Courses Rules 2021.

A government order notified on October 28, two days before the start of Telangana’s NEET PG 2024 counselling session, requires PG medical aspirants to have studied at least four consecutive schooling years in the state to be eligible for the state quota seats, even if they completed their MBBS in a Telangana medical college.

The petitioners believe that the new norms have rendered around 200 Telangana medical graduates from other states non-local everywhere in the country.

Telangana has agreed to put the merit list and counselling for the state seats on hold until HC decides the matter. The arguments by petitioners' lawyers as well as A Sudarshan Reddy, Telangana's Advocate General have concluded, with rejoinders by some petitioners' lawyers scheduled to be heard on December 4.

Also read NEET PG Counselling: Telangana’s domicile rules leave hundreds with ‘nowhere to go’; over 70 move court

Haryana NEET PG counselling 2024

The Haryana medical counselling committee has earmarked 40% of the seats under the state quota seats in all PG courses for in-service candidates and those serving in ESIC-run hospitals, dispensaries, other organizations, and autonomous bodies of the state government. The reservation can be availed by the eligible candidates provided they submit no objection certificate (NOC) issued by the competent authority.

The Haryana Government, on July 25, announced the inclusion of doctors working in urban areas in the in-service quota for NEET PG admission, which, according to the petitioners, violates the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (2000).

Referring to the rule, the petitioners argued that the addition of doctors working in urban areas would deprive the “rightful chance of those who worked in remote, rural, and difficult areas”, as per reports.

Taking note of the submissions, the court said that the Haryana NEET PG counselling 2024 can't be stalled any further and directed the officials to resume the seat allocation process. However, “any admission based on the NOC in-service (no-pay) candidate shall be subject to the outcome of this writ petition”, the court order read.

The next hearing has been scheduled for December 16.