SC refuses hearing of plea against NEET ordinance

New Delhi

“Let us not create further confusion on medical entrance test and let there be some certainty for the students. Moreover, this (ordinance) is there for one year only,” a vacation bench of Justices P C Pant and D Y Chandrachud said while declining urgent hearing of the plea filed by an Indore-based doctor on the issue.

“Let the matter come up for hearing after the (summer) vacation,” it said.

The court prima facie did not agree with the submission of senior advocate Vivek Tankha, appearing for petitioner Anand Rai who also claims to be a whistle  blower in the Vyapam scam, that the government was not competent to nullify the judicial order by promulgating the ordinance.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, said the ordinance, which keeps state boards outside the purview of single medical entrance test NEET, is only for this academic year.

He also objected to the plea for urgent hearing, saying it is not an ‘earth shattering’ matter. States like Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, which conduct separate tests in their respective vernacular languages, had demanded this be continued for the present academic session only by keeping interests of students in mind, Rohatgi said, adding that NEET question papers are either in English or in Hindi. On Thursday, Rai had filed the plea seeking quashing of the ordinance. The plea had also sought a stay on the operation of the ordinance as an interim relief.