Doctors can’t be treated like footballs, SC pulls up Centre over NEET SS pattern 2021

SC has slammed the Centre and NBE for introducing sudden and abrupt changes in NEET SS 2021 pattern. Hearing a plea filed by a group of doctors, the court said doctors can't be treated like football in the game of power.

The Supreme Court has pulled up the Centre and National Board of Examinations (NBE) for the last-minute changes in NEET SS 2021 pattern. While hearing a petition filed by a group of doctors, a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna asked why the changes can’t be enforced next year. The court has directed the Centre to have a meeting with concerned authorities and file a response on the matter on October 4.

The Court said the abrupt changes in NEET SS 2021 pattern can’t be enforced at the last minute as the exam preparation requires months’ of hard work. The young doctors must be treated with sensitivity. "Don't treat these young doctors as footballs in the game of power...We can't put these doctors at the mercy of insensitive bureaucrats...Put your house in order...Just because somebody has the power, you can't yield the power in any manner," the Court said.

The petition, filed by 41 postgraduate doctors had challenged the NBE’s decision to introduce last-minute changes in the pattern of NEET SS 2021. While NEET SS 2021 dates were announced on July 23, changes in the exam pattern were introduced more than a month later on August 31 when the exam was only a couple of months away, the plea stated. As per NEET SS dates 2021, the exam is scheduled to be held on November 13 & November 14.

The plea contended that the existing pattern was in place for the last three years and previously students used to be informed at least six months before the changes in the pattern were supposed to be introduced. As per the earlier NEET SS 2021 pattern, 40% of questions were asked from the general medicine while the remaining 60% were from the super specialty. But according to the changed NEET SS 2021 pattern, all questions will be asked from the general medicine.

Read more

• How to apply for NEET SS 2021
• Know all about NEET SS pattern