NEET PG Supreme Court Hearing 2024 Highlights: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 examination, scheduled for August 11, 2024. The petitioner also challenged the National Board of Examinations’ decision to conduct the exam in two shifts and apply a normalization formula.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra declined to entertain the petition. “So many problems are there in the country, now to reschedule the PG Exam,” CJI Chandrachud noted as soon as the matter was taken. “It was rescheduled once,” Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the petitioners, referenced the initial postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 exam from June 22, reported by Live Law.
NEET PG Supreme Court Hearing 2024: Supreme Court refuses to postpone exam
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Sanjay Hedge argued that the request to postpone the NEET-PG 2024 exam was based on the fact that there are two exams scheduled on the same day—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. He justified the plea by stating that this scheduling would result in a normalization process, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud acknowledged that while normalization may not always be ideal, it is necessary in a diverse nation when conducting large-scale exams.
In response, Sanjay Hegde argued, "Sometimes a pause to do something perfectly is not bad," emphasising the importance of ensuring the integrity and fairness of the examination process.
The Supreme Court has rejected a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET-PG 2024 exam, which is scheduled for August 11. The Court has decided not to delay the exam.
The Supreme Court has expressed its reluctance to reschedule the NEET-PG exam, emphasising that doing so would jeopardize the careers of 200,000 students. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud stated, "Two lakh students and four lakh parents will suffer. At the behest of five petitioners, we cannot jeopardize the careers of 200,000 students."
In the ongoing case, Sanjay Hegde informed the court that the number of NEET-PG exam centers has been reduced from 1,200 to 500. Hegde argued that issues related to NEET-UG are impacting the NEET-PG exams, highlighting concerns about the logistical implications of this significant reduction in exam centers.
During the ongoing proceedings, CJI D.Y. Chandrachud acknowledged the challenge of rescheduling the NEET-PG exam, stating, "It is not possible to reschedule a PG exam now. They are all children for all of us." Sanjay Hegde is representing the petitioners in the case.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has rejected media reports suggesting a potential leak of the NEET-PG 2024 exam paper as false and misleading. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has reported to the police about fraudulent schemes where individuals are trying to sell fake exam questions to NEET-PG aspirants.
The Ministry confirms that the NEET-PG 2024 question papers have not yet been prepared by NBEMS and that any claims of a paper leak circulating on social media are entirely baseless.
NEET PG 2024 will be held in two shifts to accommodate the increased number of candidates and reduce pressure on exam centers. This decision follows the postponement of the exam from its original June 23, 2024, date due to issues reported with competitive exams.
The two shifts are designed to ensure the exam's integrity and facilitate a smoother process for all candidates. On August 11, 2024, the morning shift will run from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and the afternoon shift will be from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
In a statement to PTI, NBEMS President Dr. Abhijat Sheth outlined the measures being taken to ensure the integrity of NEET PG 2024. He explained that private entrepreneurial institutes have been largely excluded as exam centers to enhance monitoring and reduce the risk of malpractice.
"We are relying on the TCS iON centres and AICTE-affiliated institutes to hold the exam this time for better supervision and also to stem out any possibility of malpractice. A few private entrepreneur centres have been roped in where there are no TCS iON or AICTE-affiliated institutes available," Sheth said.
The NEET PG 2024 exam, initially scheduled for June 23, has been postponed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The postponement was implemented as a precautionary measure in response to allegations regarding the integrity of competitive examinations in the country.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is set to hear the petitions related to NEET PG 2024. The matter is listed as item number 44 on the docket. The Bench is currently engaged with item number 32.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has confirmed that the cut-off date for completing an internship to qualify for NEET PG 2024 will be August 15, 2024. This deadline is crucial for candidates to ensure their eligibility for the upcoming postgraduate entrance examination.
Kerala MPs Shashi Tharoor, Anto Antony, Hibi Eden, and Benny Behanan met with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the need for NEET-PG examination centers within Kerala. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal highlighted concerns about the "impractical changes" to the examination center allocations for Kerala candidates. He requested that Mr. Nadda ensure that NEET-PG candidates from Kerala are assigned centers within the State or in nearby locations to facilitate their participation in the exam.
Qualifying NEET PG is crucial for doctors because it opens doors to specialized postgraduate training, which is essential for career advancement in medicine. For MBBS graduates, obtaining a PG degree is often necessary to secure well-paying and respected positions.
Dr. Farah Mumtaz, currently pursuing an MS in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tagore Medical College and Hospital, explained, "There is a significant difference in how society perceives an MBBS compared to an MD or MS. The medical field is evolving rapidly, and obtaining a higher degree becomes increasingly important, especially considering its long-term impact on one's career."
The arrangement of NEET PG shifts has created confusion among candidates. Many doctors are struggling to plan their preparation and leave schedules. Concerns are also being raised about whether the difficulty level will be consistent across both shifts.
Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh, a medical officer with the Government of Odisha, expressed these concerns, stating, “If the exam will be conducted twice in a day and the question paper would stand out differently. This again puts a question mark over how the overall merit list will be prepared. I hope NBE clarifies these details soon.”
Health Minister J.P. Nadda defended the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which has faced scrutiny due to paper leak issues. Nadda highlighted that prior to NEET's introduction, medical education had become a lucrative business. During his initial term as health minister, he claimed that postgraduate medical seats were being sold for between Rs 8 crore and Rs 13 crore each.
Nadda made these comments during a debate on a private member's bill concerning NEET, presented by Rajya Sabha member M. Mohmed Abdulla. He emphasized that corruption in medical education was rampant before NEET was implemented.
"Medical education had become the den of a business. When I was health minister and was bringing NEET, one seat of post graduation was sold for Rs 8 crore each and if you had to opt for a discipline like radiology then it was Rs 12-13 crore,” Nadda had said.
The NEET-PG test, the qualifying examination for postgraduate medical studies, will be conducted on August 11, 2024, at 500 “trusted” centres. This year, the National Board of Examinations has decided to hold the exam in two shifts for the first time. This change follows a reduction in the number of centres from 1,200 due to concerns about outsourced centres and several instances of paper leaks.
- Old Exam Date: June 23, 2024
- New Exam Date: August 11, 2024
- Exam City Details Shared: July 31, 2024
- Admit Card and Specific Test Centre Venue: August 8, 2024
Here's a clear summary of the marking scheme:
- Correct response: 4 marks
- Incorrect Response: 1 mark deducted
- Unattempted Question: 0 marks
The postponement plea for NEET PG 2024 has been filed due to concerns about the short notice given to candidates regarding their exam centres. The petitioners argue that the delay in releasing the list of allocated cities on July 31, followed by the announcement of specific test centre venues and admit cards on August 8, has left candidates with insufficient time to make necessary travel arrangements. This tight timeline is causing difficulties for many in reaching their exam centres on time.
Prohibited Items:
- Stationery: Textual material, notes, plastic pouch, calculator, writing pad, pen drives, erasers, rough paper, etc.
- Electronic Devices: Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones, microphones, pagers, wrist watches/health bands, calculators, electronic pens/scanners, etc.
- Ornaments: Bracelets, rings, earrings, nose pins, etc.
- Other Items: Wallets, goggles, handbags, belts, gloves, etc.
- Food and Beverages: Opened or packed eatables, soft drinks, water bottles.
- Any items that could be used for unfair means.
Items to bring to centre:
- Exam-related documents: Admit card, ID card, etc.
- PwD certificate issued by the Competent Authority, if claiming scribe/extra time as per the RPwD Act, 2016.
For NEET-PG 2024 counselling, registration will be conducted by the designated counseling authority, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). Candidates will need to register using the details they submitted in their NEET-PG 2024 application form. These details will be pre-populated in the registration form for the counseling process, streamlining the procedure and ensuring consistency in candidate information.
The matter is listed as item no. 44 on the court's agenda, but the Bench is currently addressing item no. 20. The Court will resume its session and take up the NEET-PG case after the lunch break, which is scheduled to end at 2 PM.
A plea filed by Vishal Soren has raised concerns over the allocation of NEET-PG 2024 exam centres, stating that many candidates have been assigned cities that are highly inconvenient for them to reach. According to the plea, test cities were allocated on July 31, with specific centres set to be announced on August 8, leaving candidates with little time to make travel arrangements.
"Issue a writ in the nature of Mandamus ...the Respondents (National Testing Agency) to reschedule the NEET-PG 2024 examination," stated the plea filed by Vishal Soren.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has come under scrutiny after reassigning exam centres for NEET-PG 2024 candidates on August 4. The NBEMS cited the addition of new centres and the introduction of a two-shift system as necessary measures to ensure student safety. However, the reassignment has sparked discontent among many candidates.
While some candidates reported not receiving any communication regarding their exam centre allotment, others expressed frustration over being reassigned to distant cities, far from their initial preferences. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing monsoon season, which has brought inclement weather conditions across India, exacerbating the logistical challenges faced by candidates.
The NEET-PG exam is scheduled for August 11, and the controversy over centre reassignments has added to the stress of an already anxious student body.
1. Visit the Official Website: Go to the National Board of Examinations (NBE) website at [natboard.edu.in](http://natboard.edu.in).
2. Access the Admit Card Link: On the homepage, click on the "NEET PG 2024 Admit Card" link.
3. Enter Login Details: A new page will open where candidates must enter their login credentials, such as the application number and password.
4. Submit and View Admit Card: Click on the "Submit" button, and your admit card will be displayed on the screen.
5. Download the Admit Card: Carefully check all the details on the admit card, then download the page.
6. Print the Admit Card: It is advisable to keep a hard copy of the admit card for future reference and on the day of the examination.
Many NEET-PG aspirants from Kerala have expressed frustration after being assigned examination centres in faraway Andhra Pradesh, despite their preferences for locations closer to home. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) initially scheduled the exam for March 3, but it was later postponed to July 7, then advanced to June 23. Hall tickets were distributed on June 18, and many candidates had already reached their designated centres when, on June 22, the exam was abruptly postponed due to alleged irregularities. The test has now been rescheduled for August 11, leaving candidates grappling with repeated changes and long-distance travel to unfamiliar locations.
The Supreme Court Bench has adjourned for lunch and is set to re-convene at 2 PM, after which the NEET-PG matter is expected to be taken up. The hearing will resume post-lunch, with candidates and stakeholders eagerly awaiting the Court's deliberations on the issues surrounding the examination.
Dr. Abhijat Sheth, President of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), has announced that 90% of students appearing for the NEET-PG examination have been assigned test centres within their home state, according to a report by PTI. The remaining 10% of candidates have been allocated centres in nearby states due to the limited availability of testing seats in their own state.