SC clears NEET PG Admissions

The Supreme Court today cleared 27 percent reservation for OBC (other backward classes) and 10% reservation for EWS (economically weaker sections) categories for this year, resuming medical admissions after a four-month hiatus.

The ₹ 8 lakh income criteria for students from poorer families has also been allowed for this year.

Over 45,000 junior doctors can join the workforce after this decision, which comes as the country fights a massive surge of Covid cases; India has reported over two lakh cases in the past 48 hours.

“We have been hearing this matter for two days, we must start counselling in national interest,” the bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AS Bopanna said.

The bench said a detailed hearing on the validity of ₹ 8 lakh income criteria for future admissions will be subject to final adjudication of filed petitions, which have been listed for hearing on March 5.

NEET-PG, or the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (Post-Graduate) is a qualifying and ranking exam for medical students for admission to over 100 private and government medical colleges.

Counselling was to begin in October but it was delayed after petitions were filed in the top court challenging the government’s July 29 notification announcing the 27 per cent and 10 per cent reservations for OBCs and poor students, respectively.