SC Refuses MD Students' Plea Seeking Postponement Of Final Year PG Medical Exams

Post Graduate Medical Courses Exam 2021: The plea was filed by the group of 29 MD students in view of the situation arisen due to the current covid-19 pandemic.

Supreme Court. (File Photo)

Post Graduate Medical Courses Exam 2021: The Supreme Court of India has rejected the plea seeking the postponement of the final year postgraduate medical examination of the MD students. The plea was filed by the group of 29 MD students in view of the situation arisen due to the current covid-19 pandemic.

A bench led by Justices Indira Banerjee and MR Shah was hearing the petitions. The bench observed that since various varsities spread across the country announce the examination dates, no general order can be passed by the apex court. "How can we pass a general order when there are 100s of universities involved all over the country?", Justice Banerjee was quoted by LiveLaw in its report.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the petitioners, said that various MD students across the country are on covid-19 duties, and asking them to prepare for their final examination at the same time is unfair. "We are forced to make a choice between attending Covid duty and studying for the exam. We have been doing it for a very long time in extraordinary circumstances", Hegde said. 

The bench said that it understands the predicament of medical students who are currently serving covid-19 duties, but the court can not postpone the final year exams since various varsities are yet to release their examination schedule. 

Hegde said that in this case, the National Medical Council (NMC) should provide the students appropriate time to prepare for the examinations. To this, the bench replied, that the question of ample time, is completely subjective in nature, and hence no fixed time to prepare for the exams can be provided in this case