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The Supreme Court has issued in a plea filed by NEET PG aspirants seeking change of Centres.

However, Court said that the issue will only be limited to change of centres for those petitioners before court who are in advanced stages of pregnancy.

A division bench of Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ajay Rastogi noted, “We will issue notice in the petition & petitioners in advanced stage of pregnancy may be given respite.”

Senior Advocate Maninder Acharya appeared for respondents and informed court that a generalised observation cannot be made at this stage for all candidates as admit card are already being released. 
 

The Public Interest Litigation filed by doctors possessing recognised degree of MBBS stating that a grave and serious problems is being faced by thousands of NEET-PG aspirants across the country due to absence of any option given to the candidates to them to change their centres for NEET-PG 2021, which is to be conducted on September 11, 2021 and was earlier scheduled to be conducted on April 18, 2021 (“Impugned action”).

Senior Advocate Kavin Gulati appearing for the petitioners submitted, “Precarious situation that has arisen for COVID. We were in final stages of our internships when we filled the forms at that time, also performing our cOVID duties.

Whereas, Senior Advocate Maninder Acharya contended, “The situation now is that there is a lot of prejudice caused to the people who want to exams. Allow them change of center and statuses are the least you can do.

However, the bench not inclined to entertain the petition said, “We cannot do it now, even Kerala HC dismissed similar petition.”

Gulati further added that at least the pregnant petitioners in advance stage of pregnancy should be given some respite. To which the bench agreed and said that we’ll issue notice in the petition and petitioners in the advanced stage of pregnancy, whereas, further added that the Authorities should not take long to come out with a decision

The Court has directed the authorities to come back with decision in 2 days.

The plea submitted that the choice of the centre made by the candidates on earlier occasion was on the basis of their nearest location to their centres as on April 18, 2021.

It is the contention of the aspirants that earlier, these centres were selected in accordance with their locations during their COVID duties, whereas, now all of them are back at their respective places.