NEET PG:  SC cancels AIQ counseling; directs to invite fresh applications to fill 146 seats

1 min read
1616066711 supreme court 4

Supreme Court on Thursday canceled All India Quota (AIQ) Mop-Up round Counselling for NEET Post Graduates for 2021-22.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Bela M Trivedi directed the holding of a special round of counseling for 146 fresh seats and allowed the students, who have joined the All India Quota (AIQ) or state quota in round two to participate in it.

The court directed the authorities to invite options from students within 24 hours of issuing the fresh notification and complete the process within 72 hours after the cut-off time for giving options.

The bench directed the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) to invite options from students within 24 hours and complete the process within 72 hours after the cut-off time for the options.

The bench clarified that all the directions have been issued in exercise of its jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution.

On Wednesday, the top court had directed the Centre to maintain the status quo in the mop-up round of NEET-PG 2021-22 counseling and asked the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) to reconsider issues, including the decision of adding 146 new seats.

The Court was hearing a petition seeking by a group of doctors seeking to participate in the mop-up round of NEET-PG 2021-22 counseling.

The petitioners who were already allotted seats in the second round of counseling had challenged the Medical Counselling Committee’s March 16 advisory restraining their participation in the mop-up round if a candidate has already picked up seats in the State quota. Also

They contended that around 146 seats were subsequently added as a consequence of which people lower in rank than the petitioners would get better disciplines.