NEET PG: SC orders status quo on mop-up round counselling, asks DGHS to clarify on 146 seats

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Wednesday directed the Centre to maintain status quo till Thursday in the mop-up round of NEET-PG 2021-22 counselling and asked the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) to reconsider the issues, including the decision of adding 146 new seats.

The apex court observed that these 146 seats were not available to the candidates in the previous rounds of counselling and they had no opportunity to participate in these seats. A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said these seats have been allocated to students who are lower in merits than those who were allotted seats in the rounds one and two of the counselling. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Bela M Trivedi, said this is one of the aspects which needs to be revisited by the DGHS. The top court is hearing petitions filed by a group of doctors seeking to participate in mop-up round of NEET-PG 2021-22 counselling. During the hearing, the bench observed that the second aspect was regarding non-uniform application of the March 16 notice. In one of the petitions, the petitioners have challenged the Medical Counselling Committee notice dated March 16 which restrains the participation in the mop-up round counselling if the candidate has already picked up seats in state quota.

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The bench observed that as a consequence of the March 16 notice, candidates who are allotted seats in rounds one and two in the state quota are prevented from participating in the mop-up counselling for the All India quota. It observed that prima facie, the notice has not been followed uniformly and this might cast a doubt as to whether allocation of seats in the All India quota in mop-up round is fair.

The bench asked the Centre to respond on these issues on Thursday and said until then, status quo in the mop-up round counselling be maintained. On March 28, the apex court had asked the DGHS to respond to a batch of petitions filed by a group of doctors seeking to participate in the mop-up round of NEET-PG 2021-22 counselling. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaryanan, appearing for some of the petitioners, had said that notices have been issued by the DGHS bringing into new seats which were not available to them and now students who were below in merit will be getting better seats. One group of petitions before the top court filed by doctors said that they had participated in round one of the counselling and had joined one discipline but were not allowed to upgrade in round two and sought permission to appear in mop-up round.