New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea seeking to postpone the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG 2022) examination.

A bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said that the request to postpone NEET PG 2022 cannot be entertained as it would affect patient care and doctors' career. The Court also said the need for patient care is paramount.

The Court noted that around two lakh six thousand doctors have registered for the examination and postponing the NEET-PG will prejudice these doctors' careers, create chaos and uncertainty and create a deficiency of doctors in hospitals.

These are matters which pertain to the policy domain and unless the same is manifestly arbitrary there is no need to consider the same, the Court remarked while dismissing the plea and declined to grant any relief to petitioners.

NEET-PG exams are due to commence on May 21.

The Court was hearing the petition seeking to postpone the NEET-PG 2022 examination and to notify a fresh date of examination after a period of eight weeks.

Senior Advocates Rakesh Khanna, Anand Grover and P Wilson, appeared for the petitioner, in the matter while Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appeared for the state.

ASG Bhati said that a large number of students want an exam on May 21 and the delay may have a cascading effect on other years. Bhati also submitted that country is trying to put the schedule back on track after it suffered due to the pandemic.