Supreme Court likely to hear plea to postpone NEET PG 2022 on February 7

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will likely hear on February 7 a petition seeking postponement of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2022 due to overlap with 2021 counselling dates, reported Live Law. The matter has been listed before the Supreme Court tentatively on February 7, according to the official website of the court.

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A plea was filed on January 25 in the top court seeking postponement of NEET PG 2022 scheduled on March 12 for admissions in post graduate medical courses, claiming that many MBBS graduates would not be able to take up the examination due to non-completion of mandatory internship period.

The plea filed by six MBBS graduates, through Dubey Law Chambers, seeks a direction to the National Board of Examination (NBE) to postpone the scheduled test until various requirements, such as completion of mandatory internship period, set forth in the PG Regulations, are met by many aspirants.

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Several hundred MBBS graduates, whose internship got halted due to their duty in tackling COVID-19 pandemic, would be rendered ineligible from appearing in the NEET PG 2022 due to lack of mandatory internship duty that too without their fault, the plea said while seeking deferment of the test.

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It referred to the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 3, last year to postpone NEET PG 2021 by at least four months and the fact that the services of final year MBBS doctors will be utilised to handle mild Covid cases. The plea challenges the condition provided in the information bulletin which provides for a deadline of May 31, 2022 for completion of internship.

The petition also sought an extension of the deadline of completion of internship from May 31.