The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Central government for making changes at the eleventh hour in the exam pattern of the postgraduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Super Speciality 2021 (NEET SS 2021).
“Young doctors cannot be left to the mercy of insensitive bureaucrats and cannot be treated like football,” Justice D.Y. Chandrachud lashed out at the National Board of Examination (NBE) and the National Medical Commission (NMC), besides the Centre.
The NEET-SS is scheduled for November 13 and 14. The exam dates were announced on July 23. The change in pattern was announced on August 31.
“Don’t treat these young doctors as footballs in the game of power…We can’t put these doctors at the mercy of insensitive bureaucrats…Put your house in order…Just because somebody has the power, you can’t yield the power in any manner,” Justice BV Nagarathna said.
Justice B.V. Nagarathna, on the Bench, observed that students’ study pattern would be according to the pattern of the exam. A sudden change in the exam pattern at the last minute would leave them floundering.
Justice Chandrachud asked the government why it was in such a hurry to change the pattern this year itself, that too, after the exam was notified.
“Students prepare for months for such exams… Just because you have power you are wielding power like this. Please speak to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to look at this,” Justice Chandrachud said.
The hearing was based on a petition filed by over 41 doctors, who contended that the last-gasp changes were made to favour a particular branch of medicine.
The petitioners contended they had been following the same pattern for three years, and any changes would be effectuated at least six months prior to the exam.
The court listed the case for hearing on Monday.
The petition filed by 41 qualified post-graduate doctors from across the country, who aspire to become super-specialists by cracking Neet-SS 2021, sought direction for striking down the changes in the exam pattern.
The plea challenged the move of the government on the ground of lack of authority as well as being manifestly arbitrary.
