NEET / National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test: Fresh schedule may be placed before Supreme Court today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court had earlier this month paved the way for holding the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), a single common entrance test for medical courses including MBBS, BDS and PG courses in all medical colleges.

The apex court had scrapped its 2013 order to stop the the single common entrance test.

On Thursday, a fresh schedule for holding of the NEET for the 2016-17 session is likely to be placed before the Supreme Court.

 

In its verdict earlier this month, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice AR Dave was unanimous in saying that the 2013, 2:1 verdict of the three-judge bench, which had paved the way for private colleges to conduct their own examinations, “needs reconsideration” as “the majority view has not taken into consideration some binding precedents”.

“Suffice to mention that the majority view has not taken into consideration some binding precedents and more particularly, we find that there was no discussion among the members of the Bench before pronouncement of the judgment. We, therefore, allow these review petitions and recall the judgment dated 18 July 2013 and direct that the matters be heard afresh. The review petitions stand disposed of as allowed,” the bench had said.

Justice Dave in the 2013 verdict had given a dissenting verdict, while Justice Vikramjit Sen (since retired) had shared the views and findings of then CJI Kabir on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

The verdict, delivered on the day when CJI Kabir demitted office, had created a buzz in the apex court corridors as an advocate posted on a social networking site about the outcome in advance.

Interestingly, Justice Dave had then too, in his dissenting judgement, said the three judges of the bench “had no discussion on the subject due to paucity of time” which is normally done.

(With PTI inputs)