NEET PG counselling special round non-joined candidates can rejoin round 2 seats: MCC

NEW DELHI: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has clarified that National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2021 counselling special round non-joined candidates can rejoin round 2 seats.

Issuing a notification on the matter on April 7, the MCC said, “In light of the Court proceeding before the Supreme Court of India and in continuation of the notice dated April 4, 2022 it is clarified that, if any joined candidate of Round 2 who has been allotted a seat in Special Round and does not join the allotted seat, then such candidates will be deemed to be holding the seat allotted and joined by them in Round 2 as there is no Free Exit in such circumstances.”

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The direction comes after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by state quota candidates who had resigned from the seats allotted to them in second round of state quota counselling and sought permission to join mop-up seats. The top court allowed them to rejoin state seats by 9PM on April 9.

On April 5, the Court clarified that a candidate will lose their seat in NEET PG counselling round 2 only if they join the seat allotted to them in the special round being conducted for 146 additional seats

The Supreme Court had cancelled the NEET PG 2021 Counselling mop-up round for All India Quota (AIQ) seats. The top court arrived at the decision to resolve the issues arising due to addition of 146 fresh seats to mop-up round which were not available in round 1 and 2 of counselling.

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The bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Bela M Trivedi had directed the authorities to conduct a special round of counselling for these 146 seats and permitted candidates who joined through AIQ quota or state quota to participate in the new counselling.

According to the directions of the apex court, students who joined in Round 2 of AIQ or state quota counselling will be able to participate in the special round without any penalties. However, students who have joined in round 2 of state quota will not be eligible to participate in the mop-up round.