The Supreme Court agreed to list a plea on reduction of NEET-PG eligibility criteria along with the main pending matter. The Bench directed that the case be heard together on Monday to ensure a common and consistent decision.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed that a petition relating to the NEET-PG examination and the issue of reduction in eligibility criteria be listed along with the main batch of matters already pending before the Court.
The mentioning was made before a Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe, who were informed that a common order had already been passed earlier in connected cases.
During the brief hearing, the counsel appearing in the matter submitted,
“My Lords, this concerns the NEET-PG matter relating to reduction in eligibility criteria. Your Lordships had passed a common order on February 6 in my matter and two connected matters. I request that my case also be listed with the main matter.”
The lawyer pointed out that since the Supreme Court had already passed a common order on February 6 in his case along with two related matters, it would be appropriate for this petition to be heard together with the main NEET-PG case to avoid conflicting decisions and ensure consistency.
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Taking note of the request, the Bench responded,
“The matter is directed to be listed along with the NEET-PG case on Monday.”
With this direction, the Court ensured that all petitions concerning the NEET-PG eligibility criteria issue will be heard together.
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The case is significant for medical aspirants across the country, as it deals with the reduction in eligibility requirements for the postgraduate medical entrance examination, a matter that has drawn widespread attention among candidates and stakeholders.
The case will now come up for hearing on Monday along with the main batch of NEET-PG matters before the Supreme Court.
Background Of The Case
The background of the case lies in the controversy surrounding the eligibility criteria for the NEET-PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses), which is the gateway examination for admission to MD, MS and other postgraduate medical courses across India.
Recently, certain changes were made relating to the eligibility requirements for candidates appearing in NEET-PG. These changes, particularly the reduction or relaxation in eligibility criteria, triggered legal challenges before the Supreme Court.
Petitioners have argued that altering eligibility norms after the examination process has begun or at a crucial stage may affect fairness, merit, and equal treatment of candidates. Some candidates contended that sudden relaxations could disadvantage those who had prepared based on the original criteria.
On February 6, the Supreme Court passed a common order in a batch of connected matters dealing with similar concerns about the reduction in eligibility criteria. Since multiple petitions raise overlapping legal issues, the Court has been hearing them together to ensure consistency and avoid conflicting rulings.
The present petition is linked to that batch. The counsel requested that it also be heard along with the main NEET-PG matter so that all related issues are considered together.
The core legal questions revolve around whether the authorities had the power to modify eligibility conditions at that stage, whether such changes are arbitrary, and whether they violate principles of transparency and equality under constitutional law.
The outcome of the case is important for thousands of medical graduates across the country, as it may determine the validity of the revised eligibility norms and impact postgraduate medical admissions for the current academic session.
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