The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Supreme Court has declared that students from open schools acknowledged by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and State Education Boards will be deemed eligible by the National Medical Council (NMC) for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). This decision enables individuals who have completed their 12th-grade education through open schools to participate in the examination. Previously, the Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, specifically its Regulation 4(2)(a), excluded these candidates from taking part in the exams.
This pivotal change follows the Delhi High Court’s 2018 verdict, which invalidated the aforementioned regulation as unconstitutional. The Court, led by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar, criticized the medical council’s assumption that open school students are less qualified due to their non-traditional schooling, often chosen due to economic or social challenges. The justices emphasized that such biases are unconstitutional, violating the principles of equality and the right to pursue a professional degree.
In response, the medical council appealed, leading to the current deliberation by Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar. During the proceedings, the Division was informed about a letter from the NMC’s Under Graduate Medical Education Board, dated November 2, 2023. This letter and a public notice issued concurrently affirmed that open schools accredited by the CBSE and State Education Boards would be acknowledged for NEET considerations.
Moreover, the National Medical Commission introduced the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, on June 2, 2023. According to Regulation 11(b) of these new regulations, candidates who have completed their 12th grade with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English are qualified to appear for NEET-UG, thereby replacing the 1997 regulations.
With these updates, the Supreme Court concluded the appeal, recognizing that students from open schools certified by CBSE and state boards are now eligible to take the NEET examination, marking a significant step towards inclusivity in medical education.