The Supreme Court has sought a response from the central government regarding a petition challenging the commencement of the third round of All India Quota (AIQ) counselling for NEET-PG admissions.
The petition, filed by about 50 candidates, requests that the counselling process be restarted from scratch.
Alleged Irregularities in the Counselling Process
The petitioners have raised concerns about unfair practices during the initial counselling rounds. They claim that some candidates were granted unwarranted advantages, which, according to the petitioners, deprived other candidates of seats they would have otherwise been eligible for.
Plea argues
“The Respondents commenced Round III of the AIQ counselling before all states had concluded their Round II counselling. This is a direct violation of the guidelines laid down in the Ashish Ranjan case. The Respondents did not seek the Court’s permission for any deviation from the established procedure.”
Notice Issued to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)
Upon reviewing the petition, a Bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran issued a notice to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which operates under the Union Ministry of Health. The court has asked the MCC to respond to the allegations raised in the plea.
Specific Claims by the Petitioners
The petitioners argue that certain candidates from specific states were allowed to participate in AIQ Round III before their respective State Round II counselling was completed. This, they argue, blocked seats that would otherwise have been available for other candidates.
The plea also asserts that it was the responsibility of the MCC to wait until all states concluded Round II before proceeding with the third round of AIQ counselling.
The court’s forthcoming response could determine whether the AIQ counselling process will be overhauled and reconducted to ensure fairness for all candidates.
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