Delhi HC issues notice to govt on plea against NEET percentile reduction

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Central Government against the reduction of the qualifying percentile for postgraduate courses in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to 'zero'.

The petition has been moved by three doctor candidates protesting against the Union Government's decision.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav on Tuesday issued notice to Union Ministry of Health and family welfare, National Board of Examination (NBE) and Medical counselling committee (MCC) on petition and directed to file reply.

Advocate Tanvi Dubey appeared for the petitioner doctors.

She argued that Petitioners are aggrieved by the order of 20.09.2023 passed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through this order Order, the candidates were conveyed about the reduction of qualifying percentile for PG Courses for NEET-PG 2023.

The Candidates were shocked to note that the qualifying percentile has been reduced to zero percentile, i.e. minus 40 marks across all categories, the plea said.

It is stated that Petitioners appeared in NEET-PG 2023 examination conducted on 05.03.2023 by the NBE and counselling for NEET-PG 2023.

It is also contended that by reducing the eligibility criteria to zero percentile, i.e., minus 40 marks-the very purpose of conducting of the NEET PG exam stands defeated. It also fades away the entire purpose of a "National Eligibility cum Entrance test" if the quotient of "eligibility" itself is diluted.

"The Impugned Order is prejudicial to the candidates who had opted out of the second round of the counselling process as it seeks to operate in retrospect, Candidates had opted out of Second Round hoping for a better seat in the Mop Up round that used to be held each year, however, the conversion of seats in the proposed Third round is different and substantially less than the erstwhile Mop Up Round, as such, the Impugned Order has vitiated the calculated approach of candidates in hindsight," the plea said.

It is also contended that the Impugned Order will set a dangerous precedent for any other competitive examination where the entire purpose of having an examination for the purpose of entrance will fade away.