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

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought the response of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Union Government, and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on a plea challenging the decision of the authorities to not hold the National Eligibility-and-Entrance Test Superspeciality (NEET-SS) exam for 2024.

A group of thirteen doctors filed the plea before the Apex Court under Article 32 of the Constitution. Agreeing to consider the matter, the Apex Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra today i.e. July 19 issued notice on the plea to the Union Government, MCC and NMC.

Live Law has reported that the top court bench took note of the fact that due to the NMC's decision to not hold the medical entrance test for super-speciality courses, there would not be a NEET-SS exam for students this year at all. The Court has also allowed the petitioners to add the National Board of Examination (NBE) as a party respondent.

The fact that the NEET SS exam might not be held in 2024 came to light 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.

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

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the said communication came to light after NMC shared the minutes of the meeting dated 23.02.2024 while responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by social and political activist Dr. Vivek Pandey.

Regarding the NEET SS 2024 exam date, the minutes of the meeting stated, "Regarding NEET SS-2024, it was decided that as admissions for academic year 2021 for MD/MS and DNB courses were held only a January to May 2022, therefore, NEET SS-2024 may not be conducted in the current year. However exact date of counselling NEET SS- 2024 in the year 2025 will be decided later."

Now the decision of NMC to not hold NEET SS in 2024 has been challenged by a group of doctors, who filed a plea in this regard before the Supreme Court. As per the latest media report by Live Law, initially, the top court bench comprising the CJI asked why the petitioner had approached directly to the Top Court under the Article 32 petition. 

Responding to this, the counsel for the petitioners explained that the exam was conducted annually according to a fixed timeline, complying with the Supreme Court order in the case of Ashish Ranjan v. Union of India, in which, the Apex Court had laid down a timeline schedule to be followed for completing admissions to medical colleges.

"Your Lordship this is an examination conducted every year as per My Lord's judgement in Ashish Ranjan, there is a fixed timeline which is prescribed," submitted the counsel for the petitioners.

Referring to the minutes of the meetings of the NMC, where the decision of not holding NEET SS in 2024 was taken, the petitioners' counsel explained that the reason for not conducting the NEET-SS exam in 2024 stemmed from the delayed admissions from the MD, MS and DNB courses through the NEET-PG exam in the year 2021.

The Counsel submitted that the admissions for the 2021 batch were held from January to May 2022 because of the COVID-19. Due to this, these courses would only be completed in January 2025. As per the petitioners' counsel, NMC only postponed the NEET-SS 2024 exam to accommodate those students.

"Their decision is in order to accommodate those students of NEET-PG to sit for this examination, they are not conducting an examination this year," the counsel for the petitioners submitted.

The plea has been listed for further hearing on July 26, 2024.

Also Read: Postponing NEET SS 2024 would Compound Existing Challenges for Aspirants: Doctors Urge NMC to clarify on exam date