NEET PG Counselling 2021: Supreme Court allows NEET Counselling with 10% EWS, 27% OBC quota

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court final judgment on the EWS, OBC quota in NEET PG Counselling comes as a big relief for the medical aspirants. The Supreme Court today upheld the validity of the OBC quota in both NEET PG, NEET UG 2021. NEET PG counselling 2021 and NEET UG counselling 2021 can now commence as per the existing reservation policy, including 27% for OBC and 10% for EWS, the apex court said.

Latest | NEET PG Counselling 2021 Live Updates: Supreme Court allows NEET Counselling with EWS, OBC quota

A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna today said, “Validity of OBC reservation in NEET PG and UG has been upheld.” Justice DY Chandrachud says, "We accept the recommendation of the Pandey committee to apply the criteria from next year. Counselling shall be conducted by giving effect to the reservation.”

While the Supreme Court has settled the matter on the 27% OBC quota in NEET UG counselling 2021 and NEET PG counselling 2021, it will continue to hear the case on the 10% EWS quota. The petition on EWS reservation in AIQ seats is scheduled for a hearing in the third week of March 2022.

As per Live Law, the Supreme Court passed an interim order with the following directions:

1. We accept the recommendations of the Pandey committee that the criteria which have been stipulated in OM 2019(for EWS) be used for 2021–20 22 in order to ensure that the admission process is not dislocated

2. Counselling on the basis of NEET PG 2021 and NEET UG 2021 shall be conducted by giving effect to the resolution as provided by the notice dated 29 July 2021 including the 27% reservation for OBC category and 10% reservation for EWS category in all India quota seats.

3. The validity of the criteria determined by the Pandey committee for identifying the EWS prospectively for the future be subject to the final results of the petition.

4. The petition shall be listed for final hearing on the validity of the EWS criteria as recommended by the Pandey committee in the third week of March 2022

The federation of resident doctors' association (FORDA) which had been protesting against the delay in NEET PG Counselling 2021 has welcomed the Supreme Court decision today.