Judge recuses himself from hearing on NEET

THE PLEA BEING HEARD CHALLENGES THE GOVT ORDINANCE DILUTING SC ORDER DECLARING NEET AS THE SOLE MEANS FOR MBBS, BDS ADMISSIONS

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court judge Nageswara Rao on Tuesday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). The hearing has now been adjourned for July 14.

The petition being heard challenges the government ordinance diluting an apex court order declaring the NEET as the sole means to gain admission to undergraduate MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-2017.

Activist Anand Rai, known for exposing the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, has filed the petition in the apex court against the Centre’s decision to promulgate the ordinance.

The petition that sought the quashing of the ordinance also questioned the Centre’s flip-flop on the issue.

The Centre had initially accepted the apex court’s order but later partially reversed it through an ordinance.

This decision was in violation of Section 14 (right to equality), Section 21 (right to life) in terms of its arbitrary character and with regard to the students, who would suffer irreparably because of the ruling dispensation constantly changing its stand, the petition stated.

The petitioner said associations across the country have to be treated with equality, adding that administrative authority should be exercised to assure a degree of fair decisionmaking.

The Centre had given an undertaking and fulfilled criteria for a unified NEET and yet it passed the ordinance within four weeks, the petition said.