The plea to postpone NEET PG 2023 was heard at the Supreme Court on Friday (February 24). The apex court has adjourned the hearing till Monday (February 27) and seeks more information on the issue from NBE.
In the petition, aspirants are demanding a postponement of the NEET PG 2023 exam which is scheduled for March 5. Here is a list of the top five takeaways from the first SC hearing of the plea to postpone NEET PG 2023.
Postpone NEET PG 2023: Highlights of SC hearing
NEET PG conducting body, Nation Board of Examinations (NBE) informed the SC bench of justices SR Bhat and Dipankar Datta that over 2 lakh candidates have registered to appear for the NEET PG 2023. The NBE told SC that if the medical entrance exam is postponed, there is no alternative date to conduct the exam in near future. Additionally, the NBE said that all preparations to conduct the NEET PG 2023 exam as per schedule have been made.
As per the petitioners, the NEET PG 2023 counselling can only be done after August 11, once the internship completion deadline is met for MBBS students as carrying the internship certificate is mandatory for NEET PG counselling. Hence, if the NEET PG 2023 exam is conducted on March 5, aspirants will have to wait for 6 months. He said students are undergoing internships for 12 hours a day and there is no time for them to prepare for the exam.
“Those who have been preparing for months together, they have to be told to wait,” the bench observed, adding, “For those who are eligible and are waiting, it is torture for them”.
NBE told the court that around 2.09 lakh candidates have registered for NEET PG 2023. When the top court wanted to know how many candidates would be affected by it, the petitioners told that though only 13 of them have approached, the issue raised by them affects nearly 45,000 candidates.
The bench of justices has ordered to hold the next hearing on Monday. The final verdict is yet to come. “We want an answer. What is the solution for this,” the bench told the ASG, adding, “We are not indicating that it will be postponed.” The bench further said, “We are not passing any order either way. We are keeping it open.”
