The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking to conduct the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination twice a year in multiple shifts. The court observed, while pronouncing its decision, that it is in the administrative domain in which courts couldn’t intervene. The petitioner requested to conduct NEET UG similar to the patterns adopted for JEE Mains.
While junking the plea, Delhi HC said, "it is for the authorities to consider the prayer. That's a policy decision by the government." The division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela dismissed the plea.
Court granted liberty to the petitoner to approach the authorities
However, the court granted liberty to the petitioner, a teacher in a coaching centre, to approach the authorities concerned with a representation. The court said if any application or representation was given to the authorities, they should consider it and take an appropriate decision under the law.
The petitioner said the JEE (Mains) examination was conducted in multiple shifts and several chances were given to students to reduce psychological pressure and motivate them to improve their grades. However, those appearing in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) (UG) were given just a single chance.
They should also get more than once chance, added the plea. The bench observed there were several other competitive examinations in which candidates did not have multiple chances.
NEET UG 2025 exam
The National Testing Agency, NTA announced the NEET UG 2025 exam date on Friday and said the medical entrance exam will be conducted on May 4. In 2024, a record more than 24 lakh candidates took the exam. The NTA conducts the NEET every year for admission into medical colleges.
A total of 1,08,000 seats are available for MBSS course.
Approximately 56,000 of them are in government hospitals and about 52,000 in private colleges. Admissions to undergraduate courses in Dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha also utilise the results of the NEET for admission. The NTA had last month announced that the crucial exam will continue to be conducted in pen and paper mode.
(With PTI inputs)
