The 2021 NEET-PG Superspeciality exam will be held in accordance with the older pattern and the newer one will only be implemented from the 2022/23 academic session, the government told the Supreme Court Wednesday morning.
This comes two days after it was criticised for being in a hurry to change exam patterns and for treating young and aspiring doctors as "footballs in the game of power".
"In deference of your observations, and in the interest of students, the centre has decided the revised scheme will be implemented from 2022. The present exam will be held based on the 2020 scheme," Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told the court.
The Supreme Court bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud expressed satisfaction with the government's U-turn and declared that it had been "very fair".
Last week the court rapped the government over changes in the pattern of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Post-Graduate Super Specialty (NEET-SS) exam.
" Don't treat these young doctors as footballs in the game of power... We can't put these doctors at the mercy of insensitive bureaucrats... Put your house in order... Just because somebody has the power, you can't yield the power in any manner," the court said.
The court's observations came while hearing a plea by 41 post-graduate doctors who had challenged the abrupt changes, contending that this was done to favour general medicine candidates.
AdvertisementThe plea said as per the prevailing pattern of examination, 60 percent marks are given on questions from super speciality courses while 40 percent of the marks are given from other courses.
As per a notification issued on August 31 for modifying the pattern of examination, starting this year 100 per cent marks were to be given on questions from general medicines.
AdvertisementThe government said the revised pattern was to "save seats wastage".
"Changes made to exam pattern to bring more flexibility for the students and to ensure that students are tested on the basis of the courses which they already know," it said.
