NEET-PG : Supreme Court To Hear Plea To Postpone NEET-PG 2022 On Feb 7

The Supreme Court is likely to hear on February 7 a petition filed by 6 MBBS graduates seeking the postponement of the NEET-PG exam scheduled on March 12 due to COVID-related difficulties.

According to the information from the Supreme Court website, the petition filed on January 25, is tentatively listed before the bench on February 7.

The writ petition seeks directions to the National Board of Examination for deferring the scheduled test until various requirements such as completion of mandatory internship period which are set forth in the PG Regulations are met by the aspirants.

"Several hundred MBBS graduates, whose internship got halted due to their duty in tackling COVID-19 pandemic, would be rendered ineligible from appearing in the NEET-PG test due to lack of mandatory internship duty that too without their fault," the plea states.

The petitioners submitted the majority of the doctors that they were in Covid duties in the year 2021 and therefore their internship was postponed. They have submitted that it would be unjust to put them to hardship for participating in COVID duties.

Reference has also been made in the petition to the statement made by the Prime Minister on May 3, 2021, for postponing NEET PG 2021 by at least 4 months and on utilization of services of final year MBBS doctors for handling mild CoVID cases.

While challenging the condition provided in the information bulletin with regards to completion of internship till May 31, 2022, doctors have also sought to extend the deadline for completion of the same.

Case :  Shivam Satyarthee and others vs Union of India| WP(c) 68 of 2022