K Chakra Pani
A public interest litigation (PIL) petition challenging the cancellation of the NEET Super Specialty (NEET SS) examinations for 2024 has been filed before the Supreme Court of India. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has issued notice on the plea and granted liberty to make the National Board of Examinations (NBE) a party to the case.
During the hearing, the CJI questioned the rationale behind filing a petition under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution. The advocate for the petitioner explained that the cancellation was to accommodate NEET PG students, referencing the fixed timeline for such exams as per the Ashish Ranjan judgment. The Court issued a notice returnable by 26 July 2024.
According to an Education Times report, the 2024 NEET SS has been rescheduled to January 2025. A National Medical Council (NMC) official cited that the delay was due to the classes for the 2023 SS batches starting in March 2024.
The Supreme Court is also dealing with another matter concerning the leakage of the NEET undergraduate examination question paper, with some petitions seeking a re-exam. The Court is expected to conclude the hearing on this matter on July 22.