PG-NEET entrance to stay in old format this year: Centre tells SC
The court disposed of the petition by 41 qualified PG doctors who were aggrieved by the last-minute change in the examination pattern
New Delhi: The Centre and National Board of Examinations (NBE) on Wednesday caved in and informed the Supreme Court that the post-graduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Super Specialty (PG-NEET-SS) courses for 2021-2022 will be held as per old pattern and the new pattern will be ushered in only from next year — 2022-2023.
Additional solicitor-general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and B.V. Nagarathna that in deference to the court’s observations and in the interest of students, the Centre had decided that the revised scheme will be implemented from 2022 and the PG-NEET-SS 2021 will be held on the basis of the 2020 format.
After being informed about the Centre’s decision, taken in consultation with the NBE and the National Medical Commission (NMC), the court in its order said, “since the Union government and the expert bodies have taken a decision to hold the ensuing NEET-SS examinations for 2021-2022 on the basis of the pattern which held the field until academic year 2020-2021, it is not necessary for this court to adjudicate on the validity of the modified pattern proposed for 2022-2023.”
Having said this, the court disposed of the petition by 41 qualified post-graduate doctors from across the country who were aggrieved by the last-minute change in the examination pattern.
The Centre in consultation with the NBE and NMC took the U-turn after the court on Tuesday pulled up the government for the late change in the examination pattern.
The court, hearing the plea by 41 post-graduate doctors on Tuesday, had observed that “heavens will not fall” if the authorities decide to implement the new pattern from the 2022-2023 academic year.