Doctors go to Supreme Court over INI CET exams

Twenty-six doctors from various states have moved the Supreme Court against the preponement of the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET) to 16th June 2021.

New Delhi: Twenty-six doctors from various states have moved the Supreme Court against the preponement of the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET) to 16th June 2021.

The Petitioners contend that CBSE, BSc, MSc, and all other exams have been postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19 but their exam (INI CET) has been preponed not giving the doctors, who are on Covid-19 duty, enough time to prepare for the test. "This step-motherly attitude towards the doctors is completely uncalled for," read the plea. "The exam endangers the lives of thousands of doctors who are frontline workers in different hospitals which is a clear negation of Article 21 of the constitution," argued the petitioners.

Citing a government's communication that assured them that they will be given a month to prepare for the exam, the doctors said that they had taken up the job of treating Covid-19 patients, became frontline workers in several states, and now there is not enough time to travel back to their home towns due to travel restrictions imposed by the states.

"While the positivity rate in India hovers around 20 per cent and in some places, it is as high as 50 per cent, more than 80,000 doctors will be appearing for INI CET. A conservative assumption that about 10 percent are infected, will itself show the difficulty in arranging for beds and life support for nearly 8000 doctors who will be taking this examination," read the plea. A typical age bracket for doctors appearing for INI CET would be 24-28 years, thereby putting an extremely vulnerable section, who have been in close proximity to Covid-19 patients, read the plea.

Further, the petitioners have added that many doctors might resign if the exam (INI CET) is conducted, to prepare for NEET which is to be held in August 2021 as they might "distrust the government for not keeping their end of the bargain related to conducting the examination after August 31, 2021, and providing one month's prior notice". In this case of INI CET, 19-days prior notice has been given and exam centres are far from the doctors' workplaces as per the petition. A doctor, who is also among the petitioners is currently admitted in ICU, undergoing treatment for Covid-19.