NEET PG Counselling 2023: Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on plea challenging zero cut-off

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the central government on a petition against the reduction of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG 2023) cut-off to zero for all categories. The plea has been moved by three Maharashtra doctors who appeared in NEET PG, national-level medical entrance exam, held on March 5.

The petitioners have challenged the notice issued by the Medical Council Committee (MCC) on September 20 reducing the qualifying percentile for the examination to zero.

Advocate Tanvi Dubey argued on behalf of the petitioners. After hearing the arguments, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has sought response from the Union ministry of health and family welfare, National Board of Examinations (NBE), and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

The court has sought response a week after the Union health ministry approved the NEET PG qualifying percentile 2023 to be revised to zero for all categories. The decision was condemned by the Congress party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders, and the medical fraternity among others.

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NEET PG zero cut-off 2023

The plea said that NEET PG 2023 candidates were shocked to note that the qualifying percentile has been reduced to zero percentile.

“...by reducing the eligibility criteria to zero percentile, i.e., minus 40 marks, the very purpose of conducting the NEET PG exam stands defeated. It also fades away the entire purpose of a ‘National Eligibility cum Entrance test’ if the quotient of ‘eligibility’ itself is diluted,” the plea stated.

The petitioners informed the court that they wrote a representation to the Union health ministry on September 23 seeking clarification regarding the impugned order and requesting its withdrawal. However, they received no reply from the ministry.

NEET PG counselling 2023

The National Board of Examinations (NBE) conducted the NEET-PG 2023, a national-level entrance examination for admission to various MD, MS and PG diploma courses on March 5 and announced the results on March 14. The MCC began the counselling process on July 27 and completed two rounds of counselling on September 6.

After receiving the September 20 order from the health ministry for reduction in NEET PG counselling cut-off, the MCC opened the fresh registration and choice filling for NEET PG round 3 counselling for candidates who have become eligible after reduction of percentile. The committee will announce the NEET PG round 3 results tomorrow, September 28. According to the MCC, there are a total of 13,245 seats available for NEET PG round 3 counselling.

Petitioners in their plea said that the health ministry’s order is “prejudicial to the candidates who had opted out of the second round of the counselling process as it seeks to operate in retrospect. Candidates had opted out of second round hoping for a better seat in the mop-up round that used to be held each year, however, the conversion of seats in the proposed third round is different and substantially less than the erstwhile mop up round, as such, the impugned order has vitiated the calculated approach of candidates in hindsight.”

Candidates who are allotted seats in NEET PG round 3 counselling will have to report to the allotted colleges between September 29 and October 6. The NEET PG stray round counselling 2023 dates are also out. The registration for NEET PG stray round and choice filling will begin from October 9.

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As per the latest data released by the ministry, the total number of state-wise PG medical seats available in India for the academic year 2023-24 are 45,337. The NEET PG exam is conducted for 26,168 Doctor of Medicine (MD), 13,649 Master of Surgery (MS), 922 PG Diploma and other non-clinical subjects in 6,102 government, private, deemed and central universities.

The NEET PG 2023 counselling is being held by MCC to admit students for admission to 50% seats under all India quota (AIQ) and 100% seats in deemed and central universities and ESIC institutes.