[NEET PG Super Speciality 2021] "Have some concern for students:" Supreme Court on pattern change [Live Updates]

The Supreme Court is hearing a plea against the change in pattern in the NEET Post graduate Super Speciality 2021 exam.The plea stated that dates were announced on July 23, 2021 but the changed pattern was made public more than a month thereafter on August 31 "when only 2 months remained before the NEET-SS, 2021 exams to be held on the 13th and 14th of November, 2021.".The Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna had previously said that young doctors cannot be at the mercy of the insensitive bureaucrats and cannot be treated like a "football"..[NEET PG Super Speciality 2021] "Don't treat young doctors like football:" Supreme Court on last minute syllabus change.Below are the live updates..Adv Prashant Bhushan: Counter has been filed by Union.Sr Adv Shyam Divan: Please see the order of Sept 20 of this court..Sr Adv Divan reads the order of Supreme Court passed on September 20 encapsulating the facts of the case.Divan: The example furnished in Annexure P-2 to the writ petition indicates that as a result of the new pattern, all questions for the critical care super specialty will be drawn from General Medicine, thereby leaving students from other specialties at a serious disadvantage..Divan: We have challenged the scheme of the examination. counter recognizes that indeed there is a dramatic departure from the pattern which was holding the field.For super speciality (SS) course, doctorate of medicine, previous regime was there was 5 eligible PG branches ..each of these branches were recognized and thus we were eligible. For SS, there was 60 percent questions and 40 percent was from feeder courses..Divan: Under the new scheme you have 100 percent questions from general medicine and no questions from critical care or other specialty branches.Justice DY Chandrachud: can you show us from information bulletin from 2020 to show how it is different from 2021. We have seen the 2021 one..Divan: 13 groups are indicated and super specialty subjects have been indicated.Justice Chandrachud: Now questions will be 100% from general medicine? Divan: Yes, My Lord..Justice Chandrachud: So earlier 60 percent was general and 40 was from super-specialty.. but now it is 100 percent general or will it have other branches too?Divan: 100 percent general medicine..Justice Chandrachud: Will it be 100 percent general medicine or will it have topics from feeder courses?Adv Prashant Bhushan: These people have already done MD. So now MD can be done in general medicine or in some other subjects too. Now they say all questions will only be from general medicine..Bhushan: My client did his MD in Radiation Oncology. Now they want to super specialisation in medical oncology. But they say 100 percent questions will be from general medicine. This change is patently discriminatory. It has been done in great hurry..Justice Chandrachud to Sr Adv Maninder Singh: Suppose a doctor wants to super specialize in critical care medicine is it necessary for him to know general medicine subjects? Previously 40 percent was from all feeder courses but now you are saying 100 percent to be from general medicine courses. See how botched up our educational system has begun. You make them study for this exam and they have done their padhai (studies) long time back.First lets see how was the scheme before. For 40 percent question earlier, it was from anesthesia, general medicine, surgery or emergency medicine. So now the candidate who did anesthesia .. even they will get some questions..Justice Chandrachud: But this will benefit only the candidates who specialised in general medicine. what is the great hurry to do this? Maninder Singh: Experts have taken a call.Justice Chandrachud: But experts are subject to Article 14. This is just benefiting general medicine students at the cost of others..Sr Adv Singh: There are seats wastage in the process.Justice Chandrachud: Tell us under 5,000 super specialty seats how many are under government and how many are under private? It is for the management of colleges to see seats wastage, etc.Have some concern for the students. What is the hurry? You have an exam pattern which has held field since 2018, so why now?.Sr Adv Singh: Three meetings were held between DNB, NMC and health ministry. These allegations of Mr Bhushan on us lying.. he should be more circumspect Justice Chandrachud: Some things are said in heat of moment. Please ignore it..Divan: Please don't allow this change in pattern for this year. Detailed arguments can be heard at a later stage. We have also filed written submissions on behalf of petitioners. Few weeks of preparation not sufficient for this exam. They have been preparing for a long time. There is a sufficient prima facie case for the grant of interlocutory relief..Justice BV Nagarathna: What is the difference between super specialty course and super specialty? Does a person study a particular SS course?Justice Chandrachud: The name of SS is the broad grouping.Justice Vikram Nath: The grouping has been changed now..Adv Bhushan: In 2018, 60% questions were from SS & 40% from the feeder. They could only apply for 2 specialisations. In 2021, 100% questions are now from General Medicine. It is the job of the PG Medical board to lay down curriculum and pattern of exam of this super specialty course and they have to be guided by the expert advisory board which is yet not formed.These changes have a very vital bearing on these exams. Nothing has been done. Board hasn’t applied it’s mind and the Central government has gone ahead with introducing the bearings which have wider impact..Bhushan: These seats which have remained vacant are of private medical colleges who charge large capitation fees. Very few are able to pay such large capitation fees.ASG Aishwarya Bhati: We had three to four meetings after the last hearing. We have submitted our affidavit. This is not a counter affidavit since we have not got the writ of Mr Bhushan.There has been allegations that rules have been changed after commencement of game. To say that the game had begun when tentative schedule was presented for the exams to be conducted in 2nd half of the year is not correct. 12,000 doctors have registered for the exam..Justice Chandrachud: Its a matter of livelihood and career. They don't have a choice at all. It appears that all this was done so that vacant seats don't remain. We want to know out of all seats how many are in private and how many are government seats..ASG: 414 colleges are there for SS courses and 114 colleges are government. Justice Chandrachud: These seats are never vacant in govt run institutions. ASG: It may be correct.SC: So the entire aspect looks like it is to fill up seats. Is it not important that students start preparing when they join PG course. Its not like CLAT or something that they suddenly start studying, its a consistent pattern of study. Students are committed..Justice Chandrachud: The interest of students and the medical profession should weigh higher as they will be the torchbearers of this profession. we have forgotten them in this process. Now 100% of questions will be from primary feeder. Idea is really to open it for general medicine so that seats don't go vacant but this is fundamentally changing the pattern of the exam. This shows the length of which your client is willing to go so that seats are not wasted.ASG: There is a larger public interest behind our decision. If something is not working in larger interest then some amendments have to be made. Grouping and subjects remains the same as in 2020 exam. Purpose has been to give a broader choice..ASG: No prejudice but comparative ease has been created for the student community. That is why examination is sought to be conducted on January 10, 2022.Justice Chandrachud: Logic seems to be to fill the seats. But see the real prejudice (caused) to students..Justice Chandrachud: The pictorial representation by ASG is very well done and it portrays the entire idea very well. The problem is no plan for future.. and just because you have authority it can be exercised would the heavens have fallen if it was done from next year?What would happen if a years time would be given to students to prepare. Change the pattern its the domain of experts but do it in a way experts should do, not in this fashion.Otherwise it sends a signal that medical profession and medical regulation has also become a business ! We hope better sense prevails. If there is an obfuscate element then arms of law are long enough to prevent that..Singh: If there is an impression that it has been done to fill the vacant seats, I will urge ASG that such impression is dispelled. Then this can be from next year only. I can ask them to implement this from next year only. I can urge the ASG to enforce this from next year

[NEET PG Super Speciality 2021] "Have some concern for students:" Supreme Court on pattern change [Live Updates]

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