Expeditiously decide NEET-MDS internship deadline, SC tells government

The extension of internship cut-off for admissions to post-graduate dental course is a policy matter, the Supreme Court has said while leaving it to the government to take a call on the demand for an extension of the March 31 deadline preferably within a week.
“Since the issue of fixing the cut-off date essentially pertains to the policy domain, it would be more appropriate to submit a representation…We direct that the representation be dealt with expeditiously and preferably within a period of one week from the date of this order,” a bench of Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said on Wednesday.
The court was hearing a petition of dentists due to take the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) on March 18. They have sought the postponement of the internship cut-off of March 31.
The petitioners argued many of the candidates appearing for the examination will be ineligible to take it as it requires them to complete a mandatory one-year internship. The last date to register for the examination ended on February 19.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for the petitioners, said the issue was also of parity as the internship cut-off for the NEET-PG examination was August 15.
Advocate Gaurav Sharma, who represented the National Dental Commission, said the government was actively considering the demand of the petitioners. He added the issue may not require the court’s intervention as the government will take a call after looking at the extent of the problem and the number of candidates to be affected due to the March 31 deadline.