SC Adjourns Plea Seeking Postponement of NEET 2021

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has further informed the top curt that non-declaration of results wouldn't stop candidates from appearing in the examination and the results would only be necessary during the counseling.

Taking note of the submission, the Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice CT Ravikumar orally told the counsel for the petitioner students, "Your grievance is other exams will commence and your result isn't declared. The relief claimed is unnecessary as authorities say you will be permitted to appear".

The bench was considering two petitions seeking directions for rescheduling of the NEET-UG 2021 examination so that the exam would be held only after the CBSE compartment/private/patrachar exams would be declared.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that the candidates have been demanding the deferment of the exam for some time now and they even started trending hashtags such as #delayNEETUG, #postponeneetUG2021tilloctober etc.

The students pointed out on Twitter how the exam was clashing with several other examination dates such as CBSE private and improvement and ICAR.

CBSE Class 12 improvement and compartment exams have been scheduled to be held between August 25 and September 15. In fact, the math paper is just the day after the date for NEET UG. Besides, the dates for ICAR AIEEA, the national-level undergraduate entrance exam for BSc courses, OJEE 2021, Maharashtra CET 2021 are also close to NEET UG.

However, recently the National Testing Agency has confirmed that the exam is going to be held on September 12, as scheduled and NTA DG Vineet Joshi had recently told the media that "There is no direct clash of NEET with CBSE board exams, it will be held as scheduled on September 12."

The Union Education Ministry has also confirmed recently that the exam date is not going to be changed as any change in the exam date would delay the exam by 60 to 70 days due to logistical issues and this may cause an indefinite delay in the exam due to other uncertainties.

However, upset over such a stand by NTA and the Union Education Ministry, the students started signing an online petition demanding that the exam gets deferred. In fact, the students have approached the Supreme Court as well.

Also Read: NEET 2021: Demand for exam deferment escalates, Over 15,000 candidates sign online petition

As per the latest media report by Live Law, in the plea, the counsel for the petitioners, Advocate Sumanth Nookala claimed that holding the NEET UG 2021 exam on September 12 is manifestly arbitrary and it violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Thus, he requested so that the public notice which set the date for NEET UG 2021 on September 12 gets quashed.

One of the two petitions further sought for directions for changing the datesheet of CBSE compartment, private and patrachar exams and declaring their results so that there won't be any clashing of the exams with other entrance tests.

Demanding that the NEET-UG 2021 exam gets postponed the plea argued that the schedule for the exam hampers a segment of applicants. It has further referred to the relief that has been given to the JEE Mains aspirants as 4^th session of the exam has been rescheduled.

Challenging the schedule of NEET 2021 in the middle of the CBSE Board Exams, the petition has referred to the Supreme Court judgment which had noted that the exams for private candidates would be conducted by CBSE between August 15 to September 15 and the results would be declared at the earliest as well so that the students would be able to pursue further education.

Even though a tentative date for private candidates and improvement candidates was in the public domain, the NTA and other concerned authorities failed to take cognizance of the same before scheduling NEET UG 2021, stated the petition.

"It is common knowledge that attempt at an exam is not mere attendance and such hectic schedule of exams cannot be said to be a fair opportunity. This assumes importance as NEET UG21 is held only once a year," the petition pointed out.

However, after taking note of the submission made by NTA that the pen ding results would not hamper the students from appearing in the NEET-UG examination and the results would be required only during the counseling process, the bench observed, "Your grievance is other exams will commence and your result isn't declared. The relief claimed is unnecessary as authorities say you will be permitted to appear".

The matter would be next heard on Monday, i.e. September 6.