The Supreme Court has issued a notice seeking a postponement of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Master of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS 2024). A request was made to the highest court to direct the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reschedule the NEET MDS exam to July and extend the internship cut-off date.
A panel consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra presided over the case. The All India Students’ Union (AISU) also penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) requesting a rescheduling of the exam.
The group representing students stated that the decision will impact more than 25,000 NEET MDS aspirants. They highlighted the postponement of the NEET PG 2024 exam from March 3 to July 7, with candidates being informed six months in advance. In contrast, the NEET MDS 2024 exam date was postponed from February 9 to March 18 in January, giving candidates only two months' notice.
The NMC has set the final date for NEET PG internships as August 15, while the deadline for NEET MDS is March 31. The registration deadline for NEET MDS 2024 is February 19.
Why are the students asking for a postponement?
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) manages a consolidated counselling process for NEET PG and MDS. However, the admission process will commence only after the NEET PG internship deadline in August.
Last year, the Telangana High Court instructed officials to reschedule the NEET MDS exam and stated that starting from the next academic year, efforts should be made to establish a uniform cut-off date for all MBBS/BDS graduates nationwide. It was emphasized that adequate time should be provided for students to prepare for NEET. This information was reported by Live Law.
The lawyer representing the petitioners told the highest court that many candidates won't be able to apply because their internships will finish after March 31. The court acknowledged this and agreed to send a notice, but was not willing to provide temporary relief as it's just a matter of meeting the deadline.
