“Bring Overseas NEET Candidates Via Vande Bharat Flights” – SC

In a latest development, the Supreme Court today told the Central government that the students from abroad who wish to sit for the national eligibility test for medical and dental courses should be accommodated in the Vande Bharat flights.

A media report said that the top court also suggested to the Medical Council of India to conduct the NEET exam online from next year to take care of the accessibility issues.

Earlier in August, the SC had dismissed a petition seeking to postpone NEET and JEE in light of COVID-19. The action had got the students living abroad and their parents worried as international flight operations remain suspended. Accordingly, the students had approached the top court asking the government to establish examination centres for NEET in the foreign countries.

Regarding the possibility of conducting the NEET exam online, a NDTV report quoted the apex court as saying, "If the Joint Entrance Exam can be held online then you should consider NEET also to be held in an online form from next year."

However, although the concerned authorities have assured that safety protocols, including arranging isolated spaces, would be implemented at the examination centres in light of the pandemic, many students are still apprehensive about it.

For instance, they have questioned if there would be separate entry points and separate queues at the examination centres for the symptomatic candidates and the ones who have no symptoms.