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Since the MCC conducted the round 3 counselling before the state round 2 counselling process concluded, seats were blocked by candidates from Madhya Pradesh where round 2 of the state counselling had not concluded by then, the plea stated.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran posted the matter for hearing on February 7. (File Photo)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre, the National Medical Commission (NMC), and others to respond to a plea seeking fresh counselling of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2024, reported PTI.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had informed about the reduction in the NEET PG cut-off on January 4, 2025. To fill the seats of PG courses in medical colleges, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare decided to reduce the cutoff by 15 per cent for the general category and 10 per cent for SC, ST, and PWD category candidates.
The petitioners claim that in certain states, the NEET PG round 3 counselling started before the conclusion of round 2 counselling. Advocate Tanvi Dubey said petitioners were aggrieved by the clash in the counselling schedule for AIQ and state quota. It said several candidates from the state quota who were otherwise ineligible to register for AIQ round 3, got a chance to register and block a seat in the third round, the news agency reported.
The plea stated that when the state round 2 counselling process began, there was an option to carry on with the assigned seat or leave the AIQ seat if they got a better one in the state round of counselling. “This created a grave prejudice to the petitioners and similarly placed candidates since they were deprived of the seats which were blocked by the candidates from the states whose round 2 did not commence earlier,” the plea stated.
The petition also said that the seats blocked by them were not available to the other candidates including the petitioners, the report stated. “If the AIQ round 3 would have been conducted after the state round 2 counselling for all states was concluded, a group of candidates would not have gotten an undue advantage of blocking a seat in AIQ round 3 and leaving it later while participating in state round 2,” it said.
Since the MCC conducted the round 3 counselling before the state round 2 counselling process concluded, seats were blocked by candidates from Madhya Pradesh where round 2 of the state counselling had not concluded by then, the plea added. All the other states except Madhya Pradesh were done with round 2 counselling before the result of AIQ round 3 counselling, the report added.
“The act of depriving the candidates with the seat for which they are otherwise eligible is violative of their fundamental right guaranteed under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution,” it said.
The plea sought directions to the MCC to cancel the round 3 counselling and to conduct it afresh. It also sought directions to conduct a fourth round of counselling for the remaining seats which were blocked by candidates during round 2 of state counselling. It also sought an option for candidates who were eligible for AIQ round 3 to register for the stray vacancy round.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran posted the matter for hearing on February 7.
