Green signal for NEET-PG counselling from Supreme Court today brings huge relief for resident doctors. In today’s judgement SC upheld the 27% quota for OBC and 10% for EWS categories for NEET-PG admissions this year. The delay in counselling also led to a protest by the resident doctors last month in December in the capital. During this protest, even Delhi police and resident doctors came face to the face causing an escalation of the protest. Post that episode, the protest became viral on social media also. But today this decision has sent waves of joy among the medical and healthcare departments across the nation.
NEET-PG Counselling Details:
Counselling for the admissions was due in October 2021 which was delayed as several petitions were filed in the SC. The petitions challenged the decision of the centre government with respect to a notification issued on 29th July. According to the notification, 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% reservation for EWS students shall be provided in NEET-PG admissions for session 2021-2022. NEET-PG is a professional certified examination for medical students to take admission in post-graduate course.
In SC government’s representative Solicitor Tushar Mehta says that changing rules at this moment will not change the game it may delay the matter more. The government is keen to start the counselling process as soon as possible with the existing criteria. As the delay has already caused a great gap between the two consecutive batches for PG students. We are already in shortage of doctors in the pandemic and any further delay can prove lethal to healthcare system. The delay has caused an immense pressure on workload of existing medical staff especially because of third wave of corona. So after all detailed discussions the SC has decided to allow the NEET-PG Counselling to start for this session. This step will help in adding up almost 50,000 doctors to our system.
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EWS CRITERIA IN NEET-PG COUNSELLING DETAILS :
Justice D Y Chandrachud has said that the Criteria for EWS admission with Rs 8 Lakh income is not conceivable as it has no socio-economic or demographic data to prove that. But as of now SC has allowed the criteria for EWS as any further delay is not recommended seeing the surge of corona in the country.
The next hearing for EWS income criteria will be held on 5th March. Whereas the government says that the EWS income criteria is in accordance with Article 14,15 and 16 of the constitution. The government’s decision is taken only after the discussion with the Ministry of social justice and empowerment. The EWS criteria of Rs 8 lakh income excludes families with agricultural land of 5 acres or more irrespective of their income. Senior advocate Arvind Datar requested the court to continue with income criteria of 2.5 lakh per year for the EWS quota.