Petitions challenging the reduction in application period for NEET PG by SSC officers dismissed; court rules no prima facie case for interim relief.
In a significant judgment, the Delhi High Court has dismissed the petitions filed by Major Jayati Chandra and Major Eshaan Segan challenging the amendments to the Training and Professional Progression Rules for Medical/Non-Technical Officers of the Armed Forces Medical Services. The amendments, implemented in 2025, reduced the permissible period for Short Service Commission (SSC) officers to apply for NEET PG exams from ten years to seven years.
The petitioners, represented by Advocate Prateek Arora, sought interim relief to apply for the NEET PG Examination, 2026, despite the new rules. The last date for application was set for June 30, 2026. The petitioners argued that the previous rules, effective from 2018, allowed them more time to apply for the exams, and the sudden reduction was arbitrary.
However, the High Court, led by Justices Ms. Mini Pushkarna and Vinod Kumar, upheld the decision of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) that had earlier dismissed the request for interim relief. The court observed that merely challenging the amendments does not provide grounds for suspending the new rules. The court also noted that since the petitioners had sufficient time until 2028 to take the exams even if they ultimately succeed, there was no prima facie case for interim relief.
The respondents, represented by Government Pleader Kartik Sharma and others, argued that the petitioners were aware of the rules since their notification in November 2025, and their inability to secure a seat in earlier exams was due to personal choices or examination failures. The court agreed, stating that granting interim relief would effectively suspend the Training Rules-2025, which is inadvisable given the pending final adjudication before the AFT.
The court concluded that the petitions lacked merit and dismissed them along with any pending applications. The case now awaits further proceedings in the Armed Forces Tribunal, scheduled for August 28, 2026.
Bottom line:-
Armed Forces Medical Services - Denial of interim relief to officers challenging amendments in training rules reducing the permissible period to apply for NEET PG exams - Interim relief cannot be granted when it would lead to suspension of the amended rules still under challenge.
Statutory provision(s):
Article 226 of the Constitution of India, Armed Forces Medical Services - Training and Professional Progression Rules, 2025, Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007.
Major Jayati Chandra v. Union of India, (Delhi)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 2931825
