Several National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) aspirants on Wednesday, July 13 approached the Delhi High Court seeking direction from the authorities to postpone the competitive examination for the year 2022 which is scheduled to be held on July 17.
The petition was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, which allowed it to be listed for hearing on Thursday, July 14 the lawyer for the petitioners said, as stated in a report by PTI.
The petitioners, who are all NEET aspirants, sought to set aside the entrance test that is scheduled for undergraduate medical and dental courses, and said that a fresh notification rescheduling the examination date should be issued by the authorities after addressing their grievances.
"Our main demand is that either defer the commencement of the exam or allow another attempt, like the JEE Mains," Anubha Shrivastava, a lawyer told EdexLive, who also gave a representation in the plea. She added that there is no clarity on when the academic session will begin. "If it begins in February 2023, then might as well postpone the exams at least until the end of August," she said.
Anubha added that the situation in the country got worse last week as several states have been witnessing floods. In fact, the plea further prays that 'NEET-UG Phase 2' be conducted by the authorities after considering the “huge distance” at which certain examination centres are located for certain aspirants when the nation is facing “the current grave situation caused by floods”.
The petitioners also seek the establishment of a complaint redressal mechanism to decide within a time-bound manner all the complaints and grievances raised in respect of the examination. "Hopefully we will get the decision tomorrow," Anubha said.
“This Hon'ble Court may graciously be pleased to issue any writ/directions in the nature of Certiorari or Mandamus directing the respondents to set aside the examination schedule July 17, 2022, of NEET-UG 2022 examination as mentioned in the notification dated April 6, 2022, issued by respondent no.1/national testing agency,” the prayers said.
“Direct the respondents to issue a fresh notification rescheduling date of NEET- UG 2022 examination after considering the grievances raised by the petitioners by way of written representations dated May 12, 2022, and July 8, 2022,” it added.
