NEET PG Counselling 2021: Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging OBC, EWS quota today

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will today hear a batch of pleas challenging the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) notice offering 27% reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) and 10% for EWS category in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) admissions for various medical courses.

NEET-PG counselling registration for the first round was supposed to commence from October 25, however, candidates were informed by MCC that the counselling will start only after the clarification is sought over reservation from the top court.

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The bench comprising Justice Chandrachud had said, “Counselling will not start till we decide on the issue (OBC, EWS reservation),” as per reports.

Following his orders, MCC issued a notice on the website stating, “Counselling for NEET-PG, 2021 has been put on hold due to the pending court case before the Supreme Court of India. The NEET PG counselling will resume after the clarifications are received.”

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On setting the limit of Rs 8 lakh annual income fixed for determining the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category for reservation in NEET admissions for medical courses, the Centre on October 26 clarified to the supreme court that the principle of fixing the amount is rational and in line with Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution.

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"It is reiterated that even the Major General Sinho Commission had suggested that, "extending the existing criteria to identify 'creamy layer' among OBCs could well serve as to decide the upper limit or as a criterion for identifying EBC families among General Category too," the affidavit said.

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"Alternatively the Commission recommended that BPL families from the General Category whose annual family income from all sources is below the taxable limit (as may be revised from time to time) may be identified as EBCs," the affidavit said.

The Centre had assured the top court that the counselling process of NEET-PG will not commence till the top court decides the challenge to 27 per cent reservation for OBC and 10 per cent for EWS category in PG all India quota seats (MBBS/BDS and MD/MS/MDS) from the current academic session.