The Delhi High Court (HC), on February 11, Tuesday, declined to entertain a plea seeking the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) twice a year, similar to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering aspirants.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ruled that the decision to hold NEET-UG more than once a year falls within the administrative and policy domain, which is beyond judicial intervention, reported PTI.
"It is for the authorities to consider the request. This is a policy decision of the government," the bench stated while disposing of the petition.
However, the court granted the petitioner — the faculty member of a coaching institute — the liberty to submit a formal representation to the concerned authorities. It also directed that any such representation, if submitted, should be duly considered as per the law.
The petitioner argued that JEE (Mains) is conducted multiple times a year, allowing students to improve their scores and alleviating psychological pressure. In contrast, NEET (UG) aspirants get only one attempt, which significantly impacts their chances of securing admission. The plea emphasised the need for similar opportunities for medical aspirants.
However, the court observed that various other competitive exams do not offer multiple attempts, implying that a single-shot examination format is not uncommon, added PTI.
With the plea dismissed, the decision now rests with the authorities to evaluate whether NEET (UG) should be conducted more than once a year.
