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1. The petitioner is a doctor. He has completed the MBBS course from Rohilkhand Medical College, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh and wishes to pursue a post graduate degree. The grievance with which he has approached the Court is that the respondents have fixed 30.09.2021 as the last date for completion of the compulsory one-year rotational internship to enable a candidate to participate in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Post Graduate) [hereinafter, "NEET- PG"] examination to be held on 11.09.2021. The petitioner will complete his internship only on 25.10.2021, and therefore seeks a direction upon the respondents to extend the date of completion of internship from 30.09.2021 to 31.10.2021.

4. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, by a notification dated 07.04.2020, the Medical Council of India, now the National Medical Commission [respondent no. 2 herein] [hereinafter, "NMC"], extended the last date for completion of internship to 30.04.2021.

5. By a notice dated 23.02.2021, the National Board of Examinations [hereinafter, "NBE"] [respondent no 3 herein] fixed the NEET-PG examination for 18.04.2021 and the results were to be declared on 31.05.2021. At this time, the NBE also issued an examination information bulletin, in which it was provided that the last date for completion of internship was extended to 30.06.2021.

qualifications prescribed in the Information Bulletin. The argument advanced by Mr.Kachwaha, learned counsel that students who have completed their internship before commencement of the PG course should also be admitted, cannot be accepted. One more aspect which has to be borne in mind is that several candidates who did not complete their internship before 31st March, 2020 would not have participated in the counseling process for the reason that they were aware of the fact that they did not possess the essential qualifications as prescribed. Any permission granted to the appellant to secure admission in the PG course will amount to changing the rules of the game midstream which is impermissible and cannot be done by the High Court in exercise of its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

6. This Court is sympathetic to the passionate claim that has been made by the petitioner seeking for the extension of the cut-off date for completion of the internship. However, sympathy by itself cannot be a ground for issuing any positive directions, more particularly, when it comes to education. The cut-off dates are not fixed based on individual claims made and the respondents will have to take into consideration a wide range of options and take a decision. The respondents had infact taken into consideration the pandemic situation and had extended the time for the completion of the internship from 30.06.2021 up to 30.09.2021. The learned counsel appearing on behalf of the 2nd respondent has made it clear that there is no further scope for extension of the cut-off date beyond 30.09.2021.