The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to have a relook at its judgment that quashed the single-window admission process, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), for medical courses.
A three-judge bench headed by justice HL Dattu and comprising justices AR Dave and Vikramajit Sen said it would grant an open hearing to the Centre and Medical Council of India’s (MCI) petition seeking a review of its July 18 verdict that declared NEET violated the rights of private institutions.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir (since retired), had ruled by a two to one majority that MCI did not have the jurisdiction to formulate the common entrance test and enforce it on private medical colleges.
The new bench issued a notice to all private and minority medical colleges on whose plea SC had scrapped NEET. “Application for oral hearing is granted. Issue notice,” the bench a said in its brief order.
The MCI’s review petition — drafted by senior advocate Nidesh Gupta — assailed the logic put forth in the majority judgment authored by justice Kabir. It said it had ignored the settled principles laid down by SC’s constitution benches. There was wrong appreciation of facts relating to medical admissions.