Following a petition by six AYUSH aspirants challenging the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for taking admission to Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) courses, the Delhi High Court has sought the centre’s and NTA’s response on the same.
The petitioners had stated that appearing for NEET to pursue AYUSH courses in medical colleges governed by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 and National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020 is in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
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NEET has been created by NMC Act which is applicable only to the medical colleges that grant degrees, diplomas, or licenses in modern scientific medicine, which is different from institutes that grant degrees, diplomas, or licenses in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, or Homoeopathy, the petition said. The petition added that the structure of NEET is different from the eligibility criteria for admission to AYUSH courses.
The petition further stated that the scope of NEET under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (NMC Act) is restricted to modern scientific medicine and does not include the traditional system of medicine. The respondents have completely overlooked the fact that MBBS and BDS courses and AYUSH courses are different fields of study and there are fundamental differences between the framework of both the courses, the petition added.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel has issued notice to the centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and other respondents seeking their response on the petition. The Delhi HC also said it would hear the challenge alongside the petition by allopathic practitioners against the permission given to AYUSH practitioners to perform certain surgeries.
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To the petitioners, the bench said that on one hand they saying they are competitive but when asked to appear in NEET, they are not. The bench comprising of Justice Jyoti Singh told the counsel for the petitioner that AYUSH practitioners want to do operations but now they are saying they are different and called it “double standard”. The matter would be heard next on March 30.
The lawyer appearing for the petitioners said that the petitioners were not against NEET. The central government represented by counsel Monika Arora was asked by the court to provide details of the petition by allopathic practitioners.
— with inputs from PTI
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