[NEET PG 2022] Hearing in Supreme Court on application date, internship deadline: LIVE UPDATES

The Supreme Court will hear today the plea regarding the deadline for application of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test post graduate exam 2022 (NEET PG 2022) and for completion of internship (to be eligible for making such application).

The matter will be heard by a Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath.

One of the main prayers in the petition was to postpone the date of NEET PG 2022 which was earlier scheduled to be held on March 12.

However, before the hearing happened on Friday last week, the Central government announced its decision to postpone the exam by 6 to 8 weeks, rendering the prayer on the same infructuous.

However, the issue regarding internship persisted since many petitioners said that they would not be in a position to comply with the deadline of May 31, 2022 fixed for completing internship, one of the eligibility criteria to apply for the exam.

The plea said that many final year MBBS candidates had joined as front line workers on Covid duties and it delayed the commencement of their internship.

"When the candidates made informal enquiries from the colleges regarding the internship extension date for next year and whether the same will affect the registration for NEET-PG 2022, they were given an oral assurance by the colleges that the same will not clash with registration requirement for NEET-PG 2022-23. However, on January 15, 2022, the candidates were shocked to note that they will not be able to register for one (1) year compulsory internship on or before 31st May 2022, as required under Clause 4.1 of the Information Bulletin," the plea filed through advocate Charu Mathur said.

Thus, the condition is manifestly arbitrary as it deprives thousands of candidates to apply for the examination, the petition stated.

Read live updates from the hearing below.