Supreme Court to reconsider verdict on NEET

The Supreme Court has agreed to have a relook at its judgment scrapping the single common entrance test for admission to MBBS, BDS and postgraduate courses in all medical colleges, which was delivered three months back.

The court decided to grant oral hearing to the Centre and other petitioners who had sought a review of its July 18 majority (2-1) verdict that had quashed the notification for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on the ground that it violated the rights of private institutions to administer such institutions.

A Bench comprising Justices H.L. Dattu, A.R. Dave and Vikramjit Sen, issued notice to all private and minority medical colleges on whose plea the apex court had scrapped NEET.

A review petition is normally decided in chamber proceedings without giving an opportunity to parties concerned to argue the case.

The judgment quashing NEET was delivered by a three-judge Bench headed by (then) Chief Justice Altamas Kabir.

‘Policy is legal’

His view was shared by Justice Sen, while Justice Dave dissented and upheld NEET, saying the policy was “legal” as it would stop corrupt practice which enabled undeserving students to get admissions by paying huge capitation fees or donations.

One of the petitioners seeking review, NGO ‘Sankalp’, said in its plea that the minority view in the judgment rightly held that if NEET is conducted under the supervision of the apex professional body, no extraneous and irrelevant factors like caste, creed, social or economic standing would come into play.