NEET OBC Reservations: Supreme Court's Nod To Counselling With 27% Quota For OBCs, 10% For EWS

In an interim order released by the apex court, the existing criteria has been upheld for this academic year

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the reservation of 10 percent Economically Weak Section (EWS) and 27 percent Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the NEET PG admissions for this academic year.

The counselling was halted for two months which attracted the ire of the medical professionals. After receiving the much-waited nod from the Supreme Court, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET PG Counseling 2021 would begin soon now.

In an interim order released by the apex court, the existing criteria has been upheld for this academic year. However, there will be a detailed hearing on EWS reservation besides identifying criteria will be held in the third week of March, the court said. It will also consider the validity of EWS quotas at the time.

The Centre told the apex court on Thursday that the introduction of OBC and EWS reservations after the issuance of NEET-PG exam notification does not amount to "changing the rules of the game" midway, according to PTI report.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a bench of justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that the submission that OBC reservation is unconstitutional is legally unsustainable.

Justifying the application of Rs 8 lakh income criteria for the EWS category, Mehta said the decision was arrived at after due deliberation by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

He contended that performance of a candidate in an examination doesn't depend on the reservation and a student has to perform his best.

"I (candidate) can't say since there is 10 per cent reservation, I can perform slightly less," he said adding that in February, 2021 when the examination brochure was issued it was clarified that reservation would be declared subsequently.

Appearing for some of the candidates, senior advocate Arvind Datar said that if the apex court intends to allow EWS reservation in NEET-AIQ this year, it should be based on Rs 2.5 lakh annual income criteria as recommended by Major Gen (retd) SR Sinho commission and not the Rs 8 lakh gross annual income limit fixed by the Centre.

A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna said the counselling for the NEET-PG for the academic year 2021-22 will proceed as per the criteria already notified.

 

 

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