The Supreme Court orders Centre to put NEET-PG counselling on hold until it decides the validity of Centre’s decision to introduce OBC and EWS reservation in All India Quota (AIQ).
A bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said that “the students will be in a serious problem” if the counselling takes place before the Supreme Court takes a concrete decision.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj gave assurance to Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, representing the NEET Aspirants who have filed the petition in the court, said that the counselling of the NEET-PG students will begin from October 25,2021 according to the official communication from the Director General of Health Services.
Advocate Datar, requested the Court’s intervention for terminating the entire process of counselling while the issue was before the court.
ASG KM Nataraj assured Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, that the counselling will not begin unless the issue is dealt with.
“Mr. Datar has got the communication which was sent only to the colleges for the purpose of verification of seats. There is one more clarifactory notification which has been issued today. Otherwise, counselling will not begin unless the issue has been dealt with by the Court somehow.”
ASG KM Nataraj.
Justice Chandrachud said that we will take your word that counselling is not starting until and unless the matter is solved.
“We will take your word for it then, so long as the students are not counselled. We will take your word that counselling is not starting till we decide one way or the other. Students will be in a serious problem otherwise.”
Justice Chandrachud.
The Court had expressed its doubts over the validity of the Rs. 8 lakh annual income limit set by the Centre for EWS criteria and requested for the responses on specific issues.