Announce NEET SS Exam Schedule in 30 Days: SC tells NMC, junks Plea to Hold Exam this year

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (August 14) dismissed the plea challenging the National Medical Commission's (NMC) decision not to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Super Speciality (NEET-SS) 2024 exam this year.

While considering a plea in this regard filed by thirteen doctors under Article 32 of the Constitution, the top court bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra observed that the data given by the National Medical Commission (NMC) suggested that at least 40% of the students who appear in the NEET-SS exam are from the immediately preceding batch. 

The Supreme Court bench observed that deferring the exam to the next year would not prejudice the petitioners, who previously appeared in the NEET-SS exam. However, the bench opined that if the exam was held this year, the 2021 Post-Graduate batch students, who will complete their courses in January 2025, would lose their chance.

Although the bench dismissed the plea, it agreed that NMC must decide on the exam schedule at the earliest, the top court bench has directed the Commission to announce the schedule of NEET SS exam within 30 days from today. The Court also held that the exam must be held within three months from January 2025.

A group of thirteen doctors had filed the plea before the Apex Court under Article 32 of the Constitution challenging the NMC's decision of not holding NEET-SS exam for 2024. 

Also Read:Why No NEET SS in 2024? Supreme Court Seeks Response from NMC, Centre, MCC

NEET SS exam might not be held in 2024 was notified through a communication of the NMC Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) dated 23.02.2024. In the said communication the PG Board of NMC had indicated the possibility of not conducting the NEET-SS 2024 exam in the current academic year and postpone it to 2025.

This decision of not holding the NEET-SS exam for this year was challenged before the Supreme Court. However, as per the latest media report by Live Law, the Supreme Court bench today observed that the NMC's decision was "fairly equitable" and cannot be termed as "arbitrary".

While the bench agreed that delaying the exam would cause some hardship to the petitioners, it also observed that such hardship had to be balanced with the other concerns raised by the NMC.

However, the bench accepted the petitioners' prayer that NMC must take an early decision regarding the schedule for NEET-SS 2024 exam. In this regard, the bench ordered that the schedule should be announced not later than within a period of thirty days from today, factoring the number of students who would be completing their PG courses in January 2025. The Apex Court bench has also ordered that the NEET-SS exam must be held within three months from January 2025.

NMC has reasoned the decision to not hold NEET-SS 2024 exam with the delayed admissions for MD/MS and DNB courses through NEET-PG exam in the year 2021 academic year.

Due to COVID-19, these admissions were held from January 2022 to May 2022 and it ultimately delayed the course completion date to January 2025. As a result, NMC decided to postpone the NEET-SS 2024 exam to accommodate these students.

However, the petitioners' counsel Advocate Rashmi Nandkumar submitted that only 40% of the students who joined the super speciality courses are from the immediately preceding batch. Therefore, it was argued that not holding NEET-SS in 2024, citing the delayed admission of 2021 PG batch was arbitrary, as it would deprive the remaining 60% of students of their opportunity.

Also Read: NEET SS 2024 may not be held this year: NMC