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The Delhi High Court Monday sought the Centre’s response on a petition by certain AYUSH aspirants challenging the common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for taking admission to Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa courses.
A court headed by the Chief Justice D N Patel issued notice to the Centre and the National Testing Agency and other respondents regarding the petition of six hopefuls, and said that it will hear the challenge along with the petition of allopathic physicians against the authorization granted the AYUSH practitioners to carry out certain procedures.
“On the bright side it appears that you claim to be highly competitive. However, when you are asked to appear in NEET and you say that we’re in no way,” the bench, including Justice Jyoti Singh, told the petitioner’s counsel.
“AYUSH (practitioners) are looking to conduct operations. Now they claim that we are different. Look at how they have a double standard… Both cases will be heard in conjunction,” it added.
The lawyer for the petitioners informed the court that petitioners were “not opposed to NEET”.
Central government counsel was Monika Arora, who was requested by the judge to provide details about the petition filed from allopathic physicians.
The petitioners claimed that they were asking them to show up for NEET in order to enroll in AYUSH classes in medical institutions that are governed by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act in 2020 as well as the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act 2020 is a contravention of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
“NEET is a result of the NMC Act which applies only to Medical Institutions that grant degrees, certificates or licenses for Modern Scientific medicine, which is distinct than Medical Institutions that grants degrees or diplomas or licenses for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha or Homoeopathy medicines,” the petition stated.
It is stated that the range the scope NEET as defined by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (NMC Act) is limited to “Modern Medical science” and excludes “traditional systems of medicine”.
“By notifying the common NEET examination for MBBS/BDS courses as in AYUSH courses The Respondents have totally ignored the fact that both of these courses are in different fields and have fundamental differences in the curriculum of both classes,” the petition stated.
NEET is “not designed” to account for the criteria for eligibility into AYUSH courses, the agency said.
The case will be heard the next day, on March 30.
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