NEET PG 2022 Postponement: SC to hear plea tomorrow

Earlier, the plea was listed on February 7. However, now the top court has listed the matter on Friday.

NEET PG 2022, which is the centralized common entrance examination for admission to several postgraduate medical courses is scheduled to take place on March 12. However, several students have been demanding postponement of the exam citing issues like the date clashing with NEET PG 2021 counselling process and the pending MBBS internship programme of hundreds of candidates.

Students started demanding to defer the exam on their Twitter handles and supporting their cause, several organizations including Gujarat Intern Doctors' Association (GIDA), NSUI, IMA JDN Maharashtra had also pointed out how several students would not be able to appear in the examination for their pending MBBS internship training period.

After expressing their demands on social media platforms, the aspirants had approached the Apex Court as well.

Also Read: Postpone NEET PG 2022, extend Internship Deadline: MBBS Graduates Appeal before Supreme Court

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that filed by six MBBS graduates, the plea had pointed out that hundreds of MBBS graduates would not be able to appear in the entrance exam, scheduled on March 12, 2022, as their mandatory MBBS internship training will stand incomplete.

So, the students in the plea have sought a direction to the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to defer the test until various requirements, such as completion of the mandatory internship period, set forth in the PG Regulations, are met by many aspirants.

Apart from seeking deferment of the examination, the plea has also prayed for an extension of the deadline for completing the internship from May 31.

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 test due to lack of mandatory internship duty that too without their fault, the plea said while seeking deferment of the test.

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.

Recently, the apex court, on January 7, had paved the way for starting the stalled NEET-PG 2021 counselling process based on the existing 27 per cent OBC and 10 percent EWS reservations in the All India Quota seats, saying there is an "urgent need" to begin the admission process.

Now, the top court has listed the plea demanding deferment of NEET PG 2022 examination on February 4, adds NDTV.