SC approves resumption of NEET-PG counselling
Upholds OBC quota, allows EWS criteria for this session
Noting the urgency in commencing the counselling for admission to post-graduate medical courses, the Supreme Court on Friday gave its go ahead for starting the the counselling process in post-graduate and undergraduate medical courses with 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS reservation in the All-India Quota (AIQ) seats.
Upholding the validity of the 27 per cent OBC reservation in the AIQ seats in NEET-PG and NEET-UG, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, heading a bench also comprising
Justice A.S. Bopanna, said, “There is an urgent need to commence the process of counselling.”
Saying that the reasons for upholding the validity of 27 per cent OBC reservation in the AIQ seats in NEET-PG and NEET-UG will follow later, Justice Chandrachud, pronouncing an interim order, said, “We accept the recommendation of the Pandey Committee that the criteria which have been stipulated in the office memorandum 2019 be used for admission in academic year 2021-2022 in order to ensure that the admission process is not dislocated.”
The counselling on basis of NEET-PG 2021 and NEET- UG 2021 shall be conducted by giving effect to the 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS reservation in the AIQ seats as provided by the July 29, 2021 government notification.
The court further said that the criteria for the determination of the EWS as notified in 2019 providing for annual income cut-off of `8 lakhs or assets like five acres of agriculture land, 1,000 sq feet of living space, or 100 sq yards of residential plot in notified municipal area ad 150 sq yard of residential plot in non-notified municipal area will
operate for admission in postgraduate and under-graduate medical courses for the current academic year.
The court made it clear that the validity of the criteria determined by the Pandey Committee for identification of EWS would be prospective for the future. However, the court said that the Pandey Committee criteria for the identification of EWS for next academic year or future years would be subject to the final result of the petitions pending before it.
Issuing five directions in its interim order, the court said that the hearing that was spread over two days necessitate a detailed interim order on the applicability of the EWS criteria as notified in 2019 for NEET-PG 2021. The formulation of the reasons in the interim order on the EWS reservation would take some time.