In an exclusive with EdexLive, the petitioner of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) case, Dr Ishika Jain said she is exhausted and disappointed with the delay in the Supreme Court hearing. The petition filed alleges a lack of transparency and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the medical entrance exam conducted by the National Board of Medical Sciences (NBEMS).
To note, the case heard by Justices BR Gavai and MV Viswanathan has been deferred to November 26 — it is the fourth time that the hearing has been scheduled for a later date.
"Initially, there was a delay in listing the case due to Supreme Court vacations. However, now that the case is listed for a certain date, it is being deferred to later dates. It is wearing us down," a dismayed Jain said. But, she remains optimistic that the next hearing could bring relief to them.
"The bench hearing the case is virtuous. It is listening patiently and cautiously to the matters. Although we have reliable evidence and detailed information about our issues, we have been waiting for a chance to present it so far. Hopefully, in the next hearing, the bench will lend us an ear," Jain anticipates.
Jain recalled that her lawyer has presented at least eight mentionings (notary affidavits detailing the petition) to the court's registrar, who further moved the mentionings to the justice. "Even after four hearings, no one is aware of the whole matter," she highlighted.
A cycle?
Jain further claims that the legal battle has become a never-ending cycle for the petitioners. According to the counselling dates, the Round-1 counselling seat allotment results are scheduled to be announced on November 20.
"Nothing can be done after the counselling procedure has concluded. Every year this has become a cycle. Aspirants challenge grievances in the court, and upon completion of the counselling process, alterations cannot be made," Jain pointed out.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has already announced the Provisional Result for Round 1 of NEET PG Counselling 2024 today, November 19.
The notice released today, read, "It is for the information to all candidates that the Provisional Result for Round-1 of NEET PG Counselling 2024 is now available. Any discrepancy in the result may immediately be informed to MCC of DGHS upto 12:00 Noon of 20.11.2024 through email on the Email id: mccresultquery@gmail.com after which the Provisional Result will be treated as ‘Final’."
Lost hope
A candidate, on the condition of anonymity, said, "One of the main causes of brain drain from India is the way issues like these have been handled over the past three to four years, the way all of these cases are being postponed and we are constantly given new dates. It appears that no one is genuinely interested in hearing about the concerns of the future of this nation's medical community. Since nobody seems to care about the safety or well-being of the medical graduates in this nation, many of my friends and seniors have chosen to live elsewhere."
"And when the government and even the courts are aware that if we walk out and sit on the streets, the medical infrastructure would collapse, it is extremely depressing to see our suffering overlooked or given the least attention," the candidate regretted.
Another disappointed NEET-PG aspirant, Dr Sageer Choudhury, who has lost all hope in the ongoing case, said, "I am concentrating on my NEET-PG 2025 preparations as I have little hope on the current exam. I fear that the petition will only be concluded in the new year, just months before NEET PG. This will result in no modifications to the current NEET-PG results, especially if the hearing is repeatedly postponed for 10 to 15 days."
