SC notice to MCI, NTA on plea against MBBS age limit

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Medical Council of India on a plea challenging the validity of regulations putting an upper age limit of 25 years for candidates aspiring to join MBBS course.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice S A Bobde also provisionally allowed a group of petitioners above 25 years of age to appear in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET -UG) 2019.

“The petitioners/candidates who are 25 years of age and above shall be entitled to apply and appear in the NEET-UG 2019 examination. If they are allowed to appear in the said examination, they shall take the examination provisionally subject to the final outcome of these matters,” the bench, also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and R Subhash Reddy, said in its interim order.

The petitioners led by Jalaudheen T questioned the Delhi High Court's judgement of May 11, that dismissed their plea against the age bar, saying “in the present context and background in India, given the limited number of seats and large number of aspirants, it is difficult to hold that the upper age limit is not a reasonable restriction, imposed on the interest of general public”.

The petitioners represented by senior advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay R Hegde challenged the validity of the amendments made to the MCI Regulations on Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997 on January 22, 2018, fixing the age limit, among others for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in medical colleges across the country.

The top court also sought response from the National Testing Agency, entrusted with the task of conducting the NEET, within four weeks. It put the matter for further consideration in January, 2019.