Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response on cancellation of NEET-SS 2024

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging a decision by the National Medical Commission (NMC) not to conduct the NEET-Super Speciality exam in 2024.

The National Eligibility and Entrance Test for Super Speciality (NEET-SS) can be taken by doctors holding postgraduate degrees like MD, MS and DNB, or equivalent qualification for admission to super speciality courses.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was informed by a counsel, representing 13 aspirants, that the NMC had decided not to conduct the exam this year.

According to press reports, the NEET-SS is expected to be conducted in January 2025.

While issuing notices to the Centre, Medical Advisory Committee and NMC, the court also gave liberty to petitioners Rahul Balwan and 12 others to make NBE (National Board of Examinations) a party to the petition and listed it for hearing on July 26.

Referring to an earlier judgment, the petitioners said that NEET-SS has to be conducted every year and moreover, the schedule has already been fixed by the Supreme Court for admission to super-specialty courses.

The lawyer said the decision to postpone the exam this year apparently stemmed from the fact that admissions to medical courses had been delayed due to the Covid 19 pandemic.