The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the petitions seeking the postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2023. The NEET-PG exam is scheduled to be held on March 5, 2023. The petitioners had sought to defer the exam by three months, stating that they did not have enough time to prepare for the exam due to their busy internship schedule.

A bench comprising Justices S R Bhat and Dipankar Datta was informed by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the National Board of Examinations (NBE), that admit cards for the exam have already been issued and counselling may commence from July 15 as per schedule. The bench refused to entertain the two pleas.

The petitioners had requested a postponement of the exam, stating that counselling has to be conducted after August 11, as the cut-off date for internship has been extended to that date. However, on February 24, the NBE had told the apex court that around 2.09 lakh candidates have already registered for the NEET-PG exam 2023 and no alternative date for conducting the exam may be available in the near future if it is postponed.

The NEET-PG exam is an entrance test for Postgraduate Medical Courses, and the Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, had confirmed on February 10 that the exam will be conducted as per schedule on March 5. To ensure that no student is left out, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has extended the cut-off date for all those MBBS students who are yet to complete their internship. The ministry had extended the cut-off date from June 30 to August 11 for the NEET-PG aspirants to complete their mandatory one-year internship.

The decision to not postpone the NEET-PG exam is a relief for the thousands of students who have been preparing for it. While some have criticized the decision, stating that students should have been given more time to prepare, others have welcomed the move, as it ensures that the exam will be conducted on time, and students can start their postgraduate courses without any delay.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the petitions seeking the postponement of the NEET-PG exam is a significant development for thousands of medical aspirants across the country. While some may have concerns regarding the lack of preparation time, the decision ensures that the exam will be conducted on time, providing clarity and certainty to students planning to pursue postgraduate medical courses.