SC seeks NMC's response on removing MD Radiation oncology as feeder course for NEET-SS

New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday asked National Medical Commission (NMC) to file its reply on petitioners who are aggrieved by the proposed deletion of MD radiation oncology/radiotherapy as an eligible feeder specialty qualification for the super specialty course of DM Medical Oncology in the draft Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2021 published by the NMC.
A vacation bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Bela Trivedi has listed the matter in the second week of July.
The court asked NMC why it is proposing to delete MD Radiation Oncology as an eligible feeder speciality qualification for super specialty course of DM Medical Oncology.
The Court was hearing petitions filed by various MD Radiation Oncologists including one of Richa Verma and other MD Anaesthesiologists who are going to appear in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Examination Super Speciality 2022 (NEET-SS 2022). The petition was filed by advocate Javedur Rahman.
The petition submitted that NEET-SS is conducted annually by the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) as the single-window entrance examination for admission to DM /MCh and (Post MD/MS/DNB) DrNB Superspecialty Courses.
All the petitioners are also aggrieved by the changed examination pattern for NEET-SS 2022 as per which the question paper will consist of 150 questions from the general/basic component of the primary feeder broad specialty subject and from all subspecialty/ systems/component of that primary feeder broad specialty subject, the plea said.
The petitioners who are MD Radiation Oncologists are aggrieved by the proposed deletion of MD radiation oncology/radiotherapy as an eligible feeder specialty qualification for the super specialty course of DM Medical Oncology in the draft Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2021 published by the NMC.
The petitioner has urged the court to pass an appropriate direction for restraining the Respondents from excluding /deleting MD Radiation Oncology /MD Radiotherapy from the eligible feeder specialties for the super specialty course of DM Medical Oncology in so far as NEET SS - 2022 is concerned.
The petition also sought to pass an appropriate ]direction declaring that the 'Revised Scheme' notified on August 31, 2021 for NEET SS - 2021, which has been made applicable to NEET SS-2022 vide notices dated October 7, 2021 as well as November 1, 2021 issued by Respondent NBE is manifestly and palpably arbitrary and therefore violative of Article 14 of the constitution and illegal, and consequently quash and set aside the same; and pass an appropriate direction restoring the scheme/pattern of exam for NEET-SS, 2022 to that which held the field till 2020-2021 and which scheme was further implemented for NEET SS - 2021. (ANI)