HC Grants Interim Relief: MP MBBS Students Allowed to apply for NEET PG 2023 despite completing Internships in July
Jabalpur: Offering Interim Relief to the MBBS Students of Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, the Jabalpur bench of High Court has allowed them to apply for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) Examination even though they have not fulfilled the eligibility criteria regarding MBBS Internship Deadline.
While the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has extended the deadline until June 30, these medicos of Madhya Pradesh will complete their internship only on July 25.
"In the interregnum, the petitioners are permitted to apply for the Pre-PG Examination, 2023. The authorities are directed to accept their applications without reference to the clause pertaining to cut off date of completion of internship. All further actions will be subject to further orders of this Court," the court mentioned in the order issued on Tuesday.
National Board of examinations (NBE) had earlier announced that NEET PG 2023 will be held on 5th March 2023. The result will be declared By 31st March 2023. As per the previous eligibility criteria announced by NBE, the NEET PG 2023 candidates must complete their mandatory one-year MBBS internship on or before March 31.
However, Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that due to this Internship Deadline, hundreds of students were facing year loss since they were unable to fulfill the eligibility criteria of completing the MBBS internship within March 31.
After various representations from doctors and organizations, finally NBE offered to relief to the NEET PG aspirants and extended the Internship Deadline to June 30, 2023.
Informing about the decision of the Union Health Ministry to extend the deadline, NBE had mentioned, "The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Govt. of India vide its email dated 13.01.2023 has revised the cut-off date for completion of internship for the purpose of eligibility for NEET-PG 2023 to 30th June 2023."
While the NBE decision has provided relief to hundreds of medicos, the problem has not been solved for several medicos in Madhya Pradesh. As per the latest media report by Free Press Journal, around 1,500 MBBS Students of MP Medical Science University, Jabalpur are ineligible for NEET PG 2023 since they are completing their MBBS Internship on July 25, 2023.
The counsel for the students, Advocate Aditya Sanghi submitted to the HC bench, “MBBS students of MP who have been declared in-eligible as their 1-year internship is ending on 25 July 2023- around a month later then the cutoff date-, will now be able to at least fill their forms.”
“Because of the omission and commission of MP Medical Science University, Jabalpur the internship started on July 25, 2022 will automatically end on completion of one year ie July 25, 2023. The HC granted the interim relief to the petitioners allowing them to fill up the forms by last date -January 27, 2023. The cut-off date for online application is Jan 27, 2023 till 11: 55 am. Full one year of the MBBS students would have been wasted for being denied Pre PG examination eligibility due to non completion of internship period," he added.
Taking note of the matter, the HC bench has granted interim relief to the petitioner students and allowed them to apply for NEET PG 2023 examination. However, the bench has clarified in the order, "The acceptance of the applications will not create any right in favour of the petitioners."
The petition has been listed for further hearing after two weeks.
To read the court order, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/mp-high-court-order-199593.pdf
Also Read: Relief for NEET PG Candidates: NBE extends internship deadline to June 30, 2023
