NEET PG Counselling 2021: SC Hearing On Plea Against EWS Quota To Continue Today

The issue will be heard by a special bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AS Bopanna. It will be taken over after the fresh hearings in the court today.

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court hearing for the Economically Weak Section (EWS) quota in NEET-PG counselling will continue today. The issue will be heard by a special bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AS Bopanna. It will be taken over after the fresh hearings in the court today.

The matter is up in the court over the centre’s decision of introducing EWS in the All India Quota (AIQ) in National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) admissions, and the Rs 8 Lakh gross annual income criterion. 

On November 25, 2021, the centre had decided to review the criterion due to which the counselling for 2021 admissions was halted. However, the centre submitted its review report in court on December 31 and stated the criterion to be reasonable. 

The decision of maintaining the criterion and the subsequent stay on the admission counselling has faced the brunt of the medical professions under the banner of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) in Delhi as doctors from various hospitals protested to get the counselling started as soon as possible.

Therefore the hearing was taken up by the court on an urgent basis considering the surge in covid-19 cases.

“Resident doctors are protesting and their concerns are genuine,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta arguing for the new rule of the EWS quota be applicable for the counselling according to a notification issued on July 29, 2021.

However, Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners argued that the new system should be taken into account from next year as the notification was issued after the admission process had started.