In Brief
Medical students who faced delayed internship commencement due to Covid-19 duties sought to challenge the National Board of Examination's cut-off date of 31 July 2022 for completing internships to appear in NEET-PG 2022. The petitioners argued that the deadline still excluded students from certain states and sought either a further extension or permission to count Covid duties towards internship requirements. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that fixing cut-off dates is a policy matter for the executive and regulatory authorities. Courts cannot substitute their judgment for that of academic bodies. A cut-off date is not arbitrary merely because it excludes some candidates; such exclusion is inevitable. Further extension would disrupt the educational schedule and prejudice qualifying students.
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