Delhi High Court Seeks Centre's Response On Plea Challenging NEET For Admissions To Ayurveda Courses

The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a petition challenging Centre's decision to make the common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for admission to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy medicine courses.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notices to the Union of India, the National Testing Agency and other respondents on the petition filed by some AYUSH aspirants.

The matter will be heard alongside another petition filed by some allopathic practitioners, challenging the permission given to AYUSH practitioners to perform medical surgeries.

"Just see the double standards. When they want permission for performing operations, they claim 'we are like MBBS'. But when they are asked to appear in NEET, they say no…Both these matters should be heard together. We want to hear these contradictory arguments," the Bench remarked in lighter vein.

The plea filed through Advocate Animesh Kumar states that NEET exam is applicable only to medical Institutions that grant degrees, diplomas or licences in modern scientific medicine. It is stated that these medical institutions are different from those granting degrees, diplomas or licenses in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha or Homoeopathy Medicines.

The counsel argued that the scope of NEET is restricted to "modern scientific medicine" and does not include "traditional system of medicine".

It is further contended that the Respondents have completely overlooked the fundamental differences between MBBS course and the AYUSH course and have notified a common NEET exam, which is violative of the petitioners' rights under Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

Case Title: Priyanshu Undaviya & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.