The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed petitions challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education’s notification that laid down upper age limits for candidates appear for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, PTI reported. The court said candidates from general category above 25 years cannot appear for the exam while candidates from reserved categories older than 30 are ineligible.
Students write the test to get seats in MBBS and BDS courses in colleges approved by the Medical Council of India or Dental Council of India.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar, however, struck down a clause in the notification that bars students from open schools or those who have studied privately from appearing in the examination, The Times of India reported.
“Students or candidates, who have done class 12 from NIOS or recognised open school state boards, would not be treated as per se disqualified for selection and appearance in NEET,” the court said in its 81-page judgement, referring to the National Institute of Open Schooling. “Their NEET results, when otherwise eligible, would be declared with other candidates.”
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