The Supreme Court decided not to intervene in the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) decision to defer the NEET Super Speciality (NEET SS) exam for 2024. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, described the NMC’s move as “fairly equitable” and chose not to alter the exam schedule. The court has mandated that the NMC release the revised exam schedule within a month and conduct the exam by January 2025.
The postponement stems from delays in the MD, MS, and DNB admissions for the 2021 academic session, which were caused by disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These delays pushed back the start of the 2021-22 academic session, necessitating the rescheduling of the NEET SS to accommodate affected students.
The NEET SS exam, crucial for entry into super-speciality courses like DM and MCh, will now align with the new academic timeline, providing a total of 2,447 seats across 156 medical institutions, including AFMS facilities. Last year’s NEET SS was conducted on September 29 and 30, with results announced on October 15, 2023.