SC reserves order on plea for special stray round of counselling for NEET-PG 2021

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 9

The Supreme Court will on Friday pronounce its order on a petition seeking a special stray round of counselling to enable candidates to vie for vacant seats available after the conduct of a stray vacant round of All India Quota (AIQ).

A Bench led by Justice MR Shah reserved its order on Thursday after hearing arguments from petitioner doctors, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and the Central Government.

As 1,456 seats remain vacant, the Supreme Court had on Wednesday pulled up the MCC for not filling seats in NEET-PG admissions, saying it would not only put aspirants into difficulty but also cause dearth of qualified doctors in the country.

On behalf of the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh told the Bench that classes have already started in February and now holding classes for another six to eight months is not feasible. NEET 2022 teaching will also be compromised if further rounds of counselling were conducted, he said.

The Directorate General of Health Services had informed the top court on Wednesday that it has concluded four rounds of online counselling for NEET-PG-21 and it cannot fill 1,456 seats by conducting a special stray round of counselling as the software stands closed.

The counselling process for two academic sessions, i.e., 2021 and 2022, can’t run concurrently, the MCC submitted in an affidavit. The MCC and Centre have already started the preparation of NEET PG 2022 counselling and it is likely to be conducted in July, the affidavit submitted.

When the authorities got to know in May that seats were vacant, they should have conducted a mop up round of counseling, the top court had said on Wednesday even as it expressed reservation over addition of seats in the midst of counselling process, for it increased chances of corruption.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by doctors who appeared in NEET-PG 2021 and participated in rounds 1 and 2 of AIQ Counselling and State Quota Counselling followed by All India Mop-Up and State Mop-Up Rounds.

The petitioner doctors contended that occupying the remaining seats on the basis of merit would be in the interest of both the college as well as candidates. Colleges can avoid heavy losses against vacant seats, while deserving candidates can be accommodated against such seats, if an additional round of counselling was conducted, they argued.

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