The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) to consider providing an online option for taking the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance (NEET) from next year.
“If Joint Entrance Examination [JEE] is allowed online, why not NEET? It is the same National Testing Agency (NTA) conducting both exams. Why can't you think of something next year... You can think about it”, Justice L. Nageswara Rao, heading a three-judge Bench, orally addressed MCI counsel Gaurav Sharma during the virtual court hearing.
But the court refused to order authorities to set up exam centres abroad or have the NEET held online this year to facilitate candidates abroad, especially those in the Middle East. The NEET is fixed for September 13.
“Unless there is something arbitrary, how can we pass orders? You [candidates] live in Dubai, you have studied there. You want to come to India to write NEET, who is stopping you... Take the Vande Bharat flights. This year it is too late”, Justice Rao said.
Advocate Haris Beeran, representing the interests of the candidates, said it was hard for students to travel to India amid the pandemic. Besides, they would be quarantined once they reach here.
In response, the court said there was still enough time to take a Vande Bharat flight to India and complete quarantine here. The court requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to consider facilitating travel for NEET candidates in these flights.
Quarantine norms
The court refused to order easing of quarantine norms for NEET candidates coming from abroad. Both the court and the Centre said fixing of quarantine period was entirely the prerogative of the State.
Mr. Beeran had said the quarantine in some places in Kerala extended to 28 days.
Justice Rao said, “We have to take care of the health and welfare of the public too. Mr. Beeran, you are in Kerala? There are 2,500 cases reported everyday... Tell them [candidates] to catch the flights now itself and write the exams here. There are still days left”.
The court, however, acquiesced to Mr. Beeran’s plea that students could approach the respective State governments to relax quarantine.
Mr. Beeran had argued that a large number of students were appearing for both the JEE and the NEET. It would be impossible for these students to take the JEE, which is held between September 1 to September 6, fly to India, observe quarantine and then appear physically for the NEET on September 13.
“Sixty percent of students who take the NEET are also aspirants of the JEE. The JEE has both online and exam centres in various places, including Dubai and Doha”, the lawyer submitted.
But Justice Rao reasoned that only a “miniscule” number of candidates appeared for both the exams.
“People who write the NEET would be from the medical branch of studies like Physics, Chemistry and Biology... A large number of people start preparing for the NEET when they are studying in Class 10 or earlier”, he observed orally.
The court said the petition had not shown any arbitrariness in the conduct of the NEET. Hence the scope of judicial review was limited.
