Case Note & Summary
The Supreme Court addressed a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by doctors aspiring to appear for NEET-PG 2022, challenging the deadline for completing their internships. The National Board of Examination had set the cut-off date for internship completion as 31 May 2022, which was later extended to 31 July 2022. The petitioners argued that this extension still disadvantaged students from certain states who began their internships later due to Covid-related duties. The court noted that while the extension posed challenges for some students, it was ultimately a policy decision within the executive's purview. The court referenced previous judgments emphasizing the need for judicial restraint in academic matters and the importance of maintaining educational schedules. The court dismissed the petition, stating that extending the cut-off further would disrupt the examination timeline and affect students who met the revised deadline. The court also rejected the argument to count Covid duty time towards internship requirements, asserting that such decisions should not be made by the judiciary. The petition was dismissed, and any pending applications were disposed of.
Headnote
A) Constitutional Law - Article 32 - Judicial Review of Policy Decisions - Courts should defer to the executive's discretion in setting eligibility criteria for examinations - Article 32 of the Constitution, 1950 - The court emphasized that determining cut-off dates is within the executive's domain and should not be interfered with unless shown to be arbitrary or discriminatory. The court dismissed the petition challenging the cut-off date extension, recognizing the need for adherence to the educational schedule (Paras 9-14).
Issue of Consideration
Whether the extension of the internship completion deadline for NEET-PG 2022 was arbitrary and if the period spent on Covid duties should count towards internship requirements.
Final Decision
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, stating that the extension of the cut-off date was a policy decision within the executive's domain and not arbitrary. The court emphasized the need to maintain the educational schedule and rejected the inclusion of Covid duty time towards internship requirements.
Law Points
- Article 32 of the Constitution
- eligibility criteria
- judicial review
- academic policy
- cut-off date
- executive discretion
