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Delhi HC – 3rd Jan 2024
The counsel for the Union of India informed the Delhi High Court that the reduction in cut-off has been approved, and the percentile has been lowered, as committed to the court. However, the exact extent of the reduction was not specified.
The petition has been disposed of, as the request made in the petition – the reduction of the cut-off – has been granted.
Order by the Delhi High Court
“Pursuant to the previous order of 30thDec 2024 – Counsel for the respondents states that the decision for relaxing the existing percentile has been taken by the competent authority and has been approved. The percentile having been reduced for issues of admission through the concerned Medical process for the MD/MS/DNB courses for NEET PG counselling 2024, the Counsel for the petitioner says the grievance has been addressed. Accordingly the petition stands disposed off taking note of the statement made by counsel for the petitioner.”
The process for cut-off reduction
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) will issue a letter to the National Medical Commission (NMC) directing the implementation of the cut-off reduction, with a copy sent to the National Board of Examinations (NBE).
- Following this, the NBE, as the conducting body for the examination, will officially announce the cut-off reduction.
- A revised All India (AI) and State counselling schedule will be released, modifying the timelines for Round 3.
- The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will publish the updated counselling schedule for AI Round 3, starting with fresh registration for candidates who become eligible based on the reduced cut-off.
Delhi HC – 30th Dec 2024
The respondent’s counsel informed the Delhi High Court that the proposal to relax the NEETPG percentile is under consideration. If approved, an extension for the third round of counselling will also be requested. The counsel stated that if the percentile is lowered, the relief sought in the current petition will no longer be necessary. Consequently, the court was asked to schedule the next hearing for January 3, 2025.
The Union of India, represented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the National Medical Commission (NMC), is the respondent in this case.
Background of Case
A student from Nagpur, Saket Agrawal, along with eight other candidates with benchmark disabilities (PwD), has approached the Delhi High Court. They are seeking legal intervention to protect NEET PG seats reserved for PwD individuals, which are at risk of being converted into general category seats during the third round of counseling.
Petition Filed
The petition was filed through legal representatives Rohit Singh and Mahendra Kumavat. The petitioners are challenging the conversion of reserved seats and request that these should remain available until the stray vacancy round of counseling.
Court Proceedings
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has issued a notice to the relevant respondents, including the Union of India and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). He recognized the urgency of the situation, instructing the registry to schedule the case for a hearing before the vacation bench on December 30.
Concerns Raised
The petitioners have voiced concerns over the lack of eligible PwD candidates for the reserved seats after the initial two rounds of NEET PG counseling. They attribute this issue to the central government’s decision not to relax the minimum percentile criteria for the ongoing academic session. With the third round of counseling set to begin on December 26, the petitioners are worried that if the seats aren’t filled, they will be converted to general category seats.
Potential Implications
The petitioners fear that should the government decide to lower the eligibility criteria after the third round, they may miss out on the benefits of this relaxation. By that time, any unoccupied PwD seats could already be reallocated as general category seats, effectively eliminating their opportunity to fill those spots.
Status Update
Despite a significant number of vacant NEET PG seats in the current academic session, the central government has yet to announce any relaxation of the minimum percentile criteria needed for eligibility. The case has raised important questions about the future of reserved seats for PwD candidates and the timing of any possible policy changes.
The Medical Bulletin
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