NEET PG 2022: Doctors move SC once again; seek clarification on information Bulletin

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New Delhi, February 13

Despite the Supreme Court verdict saying that EWS criteria announced by the government shall be applicable to this year’s PG Medical Courses, some NEET PG 2022 aspirants have moved the top court seeking clarifications on the issue.

The petitioners have sought a direction to the Centre to specify in the Information Bulletin that the EWS criteria for academic session 2022-23 would be decided in terms of the petitions challenging the amended reservation policy (27% OBC and 10% EWS in the All India Quota category.)

They contended that the Rs 8 lakh cut-off for inclusion in EWS criteria can’t be implemented for NEET PG 2022 since the EWS issue was still pending before the top court.

The NEET PG 2022 aspirants – who are aggrieved by clause 8.26 of the Information Bulletin – wanted its modification to the extent it restricted a candidate from changing the category after online registration on or before February 4, 2022.

The petitioners wanted the candidates to be allowed to fill in the EWS category after the deadline as per the court’s decision on the petitions challenging EWS criteria. They have urged the top court to extend the date for “EDIT WINDOW” from February 11, 2022 and include the category change option in the Edit Window to enable them to choose the EWS category during the edit window after the final decision in case.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.

While upholding the 27 percent quota for Other Backward Classes in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) All India Quota seats for admission to PG medical and dental courses in state-run colleges, a Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud had last month said admissions to the NEET PG courses for the year 2021 will be held as per the existing reservation of 27 percent for OBCs and 10 percent for EWS.

However, it had said the challenge to the validity of criteria for determining the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota will be heard and decided by it in the third week of March.

The order had come on petitions challenging reservation for OBC and EWS candidates introduced by the Centre in the AIQ seats in state government-run medical colleges through a notification dated July 29, 2021.