SC notice to Centre, MCC on plea against 27% OBC, 10% EWS quota in medical admission

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 17

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on a petition challenging the July 29 decision providing 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category in NEET for admissions to medical courses.

A Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud asked the Centre and MCC to respond to a petition filed by eight petitioners, including those appearing in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG Exams, and clubbed it with other pending petitions on the issue.

The petitioners urged the tip court to set aside the July 29 decision that notified 27 per cent reservation for OBCs and 10 per cent for EWS in the all-India quota for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses for the academic session 2021-22.

The attempt to provide for reservation in 50 per cent all India quota seats in PG medical course is “clearly contrary” to the law laid down by the apex court earlier, the petitioners contended.

They said the general category students applying for post graduate medical courses were being reduced to a miniscule minority as the number of seats for PG medical courses were limited and providing seats based on reservation was “denial of opportunity to meritorious candidates”.

The Supreme Court had on September 6 issued notice to the Centre on petitions challenging the validity of its decision to implement 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS reservation in All India Quota category of NEET for admission to medical courses.

They have also sought direction to MCC to proceed with the NEET-PG 2021 sans reservation policy provided under the impugned notice for this academic year.

The petitioners said they were shocked to note that the MCC had resolved to implement 27 per cent OBC reservation and 10 per cent EWS reservation in 15 per cent UG and 50 per cent PG All India Quota seats (MBBS/BDS and MD/MS/MDS) with effect from current academic session 2021-22.

They had said that as per the reservation policy, the overall reservation in 15 per cent UG and 50 per cent PG All India Quota seats would be—SC - 15 per cent, ST - 7.5 per cent, OBC- (non-creamy layer) as per the Central OBC list - 27 per cent, Economically Weaker Section - as per Central Government norms - 10 per cent and persons with disability-5 per cent horizontal reservation as per norms.

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