The Supreme Court will hear a plea today regarding the validation of reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category for admissions to the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) postgraduate courses. The Medical Counselling Committee’s (MCC) had directed the colleges to provide 27 per cent reservation for OBC and 10 per cent for EWS for admission to PG medical seats.
As many as 50 per cent of seats are allotted under the All India Quota (AIQ). The counselling process was scheduled to begin from October 25 but later deferred as the apex court had expressed doubts regarding the validity of the centre’s decision to introduce reservations for OBC and EWS in the AIQ.
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As per the centre, the eligibility of EWS will be determined by the criteria of annual income of Rs 8 lakhs. In an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment before the Supreme Court, it said the principle of fixing the amount is rational and in keeping with Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution.
The SC, however, had sought responses on specific issues and had asked MCC not to conduct the counselling process till it takes a decision stating that the “students will be in a serious problem.”
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The Centre too had assured the top court that the NEET PG 2021 counselling will not start until the court decides the challenge to 27 per cent reservation for OBC and 10 per cent for EWS category in medical PG (MBBS/BDS and MD/MS/MDS) seats from the current academic session.
“We will take your word for it then, so long as the students are not counselled. We will take your word that counselling is not starting till we decide one way or the other. Students will be in a serious problem otherwise…” Justice Chandrachud had said. The counselling dates will be likely be released after the court decides on the plea.
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