The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed petitions for delaying the 2022 NEET-Post Graduate examinations, saying any change to the May 21 date “will create disarray, uncertainty and, lack of doctors in hospitals”.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant said by postponing NEET for which more than 2 lakh doctors had registered before the closing date of March 25, will have to face the prejudice. Although the petitioners claimed that the postponement will not force any prejudice on anyone, the court reminded the petitioners that there were students who had registered.
Turning down the appeal, the court said the plea cannot be considered as it would also impact patient care and doctors’ careers. “The academic schedule has already been delayed by over four months… Any delay in conducting the exam will result in a fewer number of resident doctors. Only two sets of doctors are there this year. The request cannot be granted.”
The bench was hearing petitions by MBBS doctors who appeared in NEET PG 2021 exams and also participated in the ongoing counselling procedure for 2021-2022.
They appealed to the court to postpone the exams by eight weeks and to permit them to register by extending the registration date.