NEET-SS 2021- 'What Is The Hurry In Changing Pattern?Have Some Concern For Students', Supreme Court To NBE [LIVE UPDATES FROM HEARING]

NBE counsel Maninder Singh takes the bench through the bulletin and says :

For critical care super specialty, feeder specialty mentioned is general medicine, anesthesia, respiratory medicine, emergency medicine..

Justice Chandrachud : Now 100% questions will only include general medicine.

Maninder Sigh : That is the broad specialty.

Justice Chandrachud : Earlier, for 40% questions, they had to study from general medicine, anesthesia, respiratory medicine. Now 100% questions will come from general medicine only.

Maninder Singh : General Medicine is the broad specialty. A student of respiratory medicine would have studied general medicine.

Justice DY Chandrachud to NBE counsel : Mr.Maninder Singh, we wanted to clarify one thing. Suppose a student wants to pursue critical care medicine. Is it necessary that the doctor should have done MD in general medicine or are other feeder specialties also allowed?

Adv Prashan Bhushan : I may interject with permission. To explain, now they say 100% will be from one of the feeder specialties. General Medicines is one of the feeder specialties. We are raising three issues. Firstly, this is done arbitrarily and in a discriminatory manner. Secondly, it has been done in great hurry. Thirdly, it is done violating the Act. As per the Act, there has to be a Post Graduate Board of Studies which they have not created.

Justice Chandrachud : Now their (NBE) contention is this. Earlier students had to appear for 60% questions from the super specialty courses they were applying, and 40% for their course. Now they say they make students appear for 100% course. So is it 100% general medicine?

Divan : It is 100% general medicine.

Justice Chandrachud : What we want to know is....earlier...60% questions were from were the super-speciality and 40% were from the five basic branches..those branches are continuing now. Now the questions you have to attempt, are they from these branches or are they 100% general medicine?

Divan : Now 100% from general medicine.

Justice Chandrachud : We are dealing with DrNB, DM and MCH?

Senior Adv Maninder Singh (counsel for NBE) : Yes.

Justice DY Chandrachud : So for example if we are talking about critical care medicine, now 100% questions from general medicine which is the eligible feeder category?

Divan : Your lordship is right. Even the respondents do not deny this factual position.

Divan reads out the scheme from the bulletin for 2020 and explains the difference in pattern for 2021 exam.

Justice Chandrachud asks what does the information bulletin for the NEET-SS exam for 2020 show regarding the pattern.

Divan : The changes have disrupted the preparations of the students who have been preparing.