New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to postpone the Institue of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET) exam by at least a month, in order to give some time to students for preparation.
The bench led by Justice Indira Bannerjee observed that holding exams on 16th June is arbitrary as candidates who want to opt for exams have been serving Covid-19 duty at far off places. "It is open to authorities to fix an appropriate date after one month from 16th June," ordered the court.
A group of 26 doctors had filed the plea in the top court seeking a postponement. Sr Adv Arvind Datar appearing before the court contended that the Prime Minister had assured that postgraduate exams will be postponed and had asked the doctors to serve 100 days of Covid duty, which will expire sometime in mid-august. Doctors have signed bonds with the state governments and are anyway in remote areas so they can't travel back.
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AIIMS had opposed the postponement contending that there are 1000 doctors who are ready to leave and there will be a scarcity of doctors if exams are not conducted as the doctors will be deployed from exams. It said that the current serving doctors can not be forced to stay as they have done their duty. It cited an order of last year by the SC wherein the court had observed that life must go on. To this, the court said that the situation has changed and the second wave is much deadlier.
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In another plea by PG students seeking postponing MD exam as they are busy in Covid duty and had no time for preparation, the court issued notice to the Centre and National Medical Council of India. That matter will be heard on Friday next week.
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