LATE G.B. KULKARNI MEMORIAL LEGAL TRUST Vs. PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is said to be filed in public interest by a Legal Trust (Regd.). The prayer in the writ petition is to issue a direction to the respondents not to postpone National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for a further period of four months from the earlier stipulated date i.e. 8/4/2021. At this stage itself, it may be mentioned that this writ petition was filed on 8/5/2021 and today we are already in the second week of June, 2021. Even according to the petitioner, as per Annexure-A, decision has been taken to postpone NEET for (Post-graduation courses) for at least four months and the said test will not be held before 31/8/2021. Students will also be given at least one month's time after the announcement of the date of the Test before for their preparation. This decision was taken in mid-April, 2021. The same is assailed in this writ petition.

(2.) It is the case of the petitioner that the post- graduate aspirants were desirous to appear for NEET on completion of their MBBS Course as they are aspirants for post-graduate education on being successful in the NEET, which is an All India Test, and on the ranking assigned to the aspirants, on the basis of their merit, the seats are allotted in the respective colleges by the State Government as well as the Central Government in accordance with the respective quota of seats reserved to them.

(3.) According to the petitioner, on account of postponement of NEET, one day prior to the date it was to be held (it was to be held on 18/4/2021) i.e., on 17/4/2021, the doctors, aspirants for post-graduate studies, are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression as their plans to study post-graduation has been unsettled on account of procrastination. It is averred that when all other examinations are being conducted during the current COVID-19 pandemic, there was no reason to postpone NEET. Therefore, the postponement of the NEET for a period of four months from 18/4/2021 is assailed in this writ petition.