Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea by doctors to postpone 2023

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain petitions by doctors seeking postponement of the  2023 (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Post Graduate) exam scheduled for March 5, 2023.

“We are not entertaining these petitions,” a Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta said after a nearly hour-long hearing.

On Friday, the court had sought more details from the Union government in order to examine the issue comprehensively.

A status report filed by the Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, said 2.09 lakh doctors have registered for the exam. Of this, 1,76,427 would complete internship by March 31, 2023, the initial cut-off date for completion of the mandatory internship programme. Another 27, 232 candidates would complete their internship by June 30, 2023.

Only 5,370 candidates would be left to complete their internship by August 11, the current cut-off date for completion of internship.

A 365-day medical internship is a mandatory condition to qualify for PG seats. Nearly 20 doctors, represented by senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayan, Vivek Tankha and advocate Charu Mathur, had moved the apex court seeking a postponement in the exam date from March 5. They said there was a nearly six-month gap between the exam on March 5 and the internship cut-off date of August 11. The counselling would take place only after August 11 as the candidates would have to present their internship completion certificates during the counselling.

They had contended that the exam should be held closer to the counselling date. This would give them more time to study. They argued that most of them work through the day. There were 19 subjects to prepare for the exam.

Besides, they questioned the need to have the exam in March when many of them, especially candidates from States like Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, would complete their internship only in July. They had argued that the professional experience they gain from the internship formed their knowledge base for the exam.

Ms. Bhati submitted on Monday that the exam was usually held in January and the government and the National Board of Examinations were trying to bring its schedule back on track.

She said admit cards had already been issued. Any delay in the conduct of the exam would cause “unwanted inconvenience” to other candidates.

Ms. Bhati said the schedule for holding NEET-PG 2023 was notified in September 2022, almost six months before the actual conduct of the exam. The examination is scheduled to be held in 277 cities at 902 test centres across the country. More than 1,800 faculty have already been engaged to undertake independent appraisal of the test centres on March 5. There are no alternative dates available in the future if the exam is delayed.

She said the counselling for the 2023-2024 session would commence from July 15.

“Approximately 98% of the participating doctors will finish their internship by the time the counselling will begin on July 15, 2023,” Ms. Bhati submitted.

The remaining candidates who would complete their internship after July 15 and were eligible to participate in the counselling process would be allowed provisionally to participate in the counselling and will be dealt on a case to case basis.