NEET application deadline extended till March 12

CBSE on Thursday extended the last date for submitting the application for NEET till March 12.

Representational image (File photo)

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday extended the last date for submitting the application for the national medical entrance exam-National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) till March 12.

Earlier, the last date to register for NEET was on March 08, 2018. 

"The deadline for application has been extended to March 12, 2018, till 5.30 pm. The candidates may submit online fees up to March 13 till 11.50 pm," a senior official said, as per PTI.

The exam for admission to medical colleges across the country will be held on May 6, 2018.

The announcement by CBSE comes in wake of the Supreme Court's decision to allow alternative IDs for registration besides Aadhaar which was earlier made mandatory by the board.

The SC had on Wednesday directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India examinations.

The top court had said that the CBSE can take other identity proofs like passport number, driving licence, bank statement, voter card or ration card from the students for enrolling them for appearing in the examinations.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief justice Dipak Misra had directed the CBSE to upload the information on its official website and clarified that this arrangement is made "for now" till the pendency of cases related to challenge to the Aadhaar and its enabling Act is not decided.

During the hearing, Vibha Dutta Makhija, appearing for Patel Abidali Yusufbhai, had said that the CBSE in its circular had made Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolling of students for appearing in NEET examination from 2017.

She had said that since the challenge to Aadhaar and its enabling Act is still being heard by the Constitution bench of the apex court and keeping in mind the various interim orders passed by the court, the CBSE shall be directed to remove the mandatory condition and give the information on its website. 

(With PTI inputs)