PG-Neet entrance to be in old format

The Centre and the National Board of Examinations on Wednesday caved in and told the SC that the post-graduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Super Specialty (PG- Neet-SS) courses for 2021-2022 will be held as per old pattern and the new pattern will be ushered in only from next year — 2022-2023. Additional solicitor-general Aishwarya Bhati said that in deference to the SC’s observations, the Centre decided that the revised scheme will be implemented from 2022.

The Centre and National Board of Examinations (NBE) on Wednesday caved in and informed the Supreme Court that the post-graduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Super Specialty (PGNEET-SS) courses for

2021-2022 will be held as per old pattern and the new pattern will be ushered in only from next year — 2022-2023.

Additional solicitorgeneral Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and B.V. Nagarathna that in deference to the court’s observations and in the interest of students, the Centre had decided that the revised scheme will be implemented from

2022 and the PG-NEETSS 2021 will be held on the basis of the 2020 format.

After being informed about the Centre’s decision, taken in consultation with the NBE and the National Medical Commission (NMC), the court in its order said, “since the Union government and the expert bodies have taken a decision to hold the ensuing NEET-SS examinations for 2021-2022 on the basis of the pattern which held the field until academic year

2020-2021, it is not necessary for this court to adjudicate on the validity of the modified pattern proposed for

2022-2023.”

Having said this, the court disposed of the petition by 41 qualified post-graduate doctors from across the country who were aggrieved by the last-minute change in the examination pattern.