BREAKING : NEET-PG Counselling Won't Start Until Supreme Court Decides Validity Of EWS-OBC Reservation In AIQ, Assures Centre

The Central Government on Monday assured the Supreme Court that the counselling for NEET-PG will not commence until the Court decides the validity of the Centre's decision to introduce reservation for the Other Backward Classes(OBC) and the Economically Weaker Sections(EWS)in the All India Quota(AIQ).Recording this assurance, a bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud observed that if counselling takes place before the Court takes a decision, the "students will be in a serious problem".Additional Solicitor General KM Natarj made this assurance when Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the NEET aspirants who have filed the petition in the Court, mentioned before the bench that in terms of an official communication from the Director General of Health Services, the counselling is to commence from October 25, 2021. He prayed for Court's interference saying that the entire process might be over during the pendency of the issue before the court.Clarifying this, ASG K. M. Nataraj assured, "Mr. Datar has got the communication which was sent only to the colleges for the purpose of verification of seats. There is one more clarificatory notification which has been issued today. Otherwise, counselling will not begin unless the issue has been dealt with by the court somehow""We will take your word for it then, so long as the students are not counselled. We will take your word that counselling is not starting till we decide one way or the other. Students will be in a serious problem otherwise...", observed Justice Chandrachud."Certainly, Your Lordships. And if there is any problem at all in the future, Mr. Datar can contact me directly", asserted the ASG.Justice Chandrachud also told Mr. Datar that he may feel free to approach the ASG in case of any issue in this regard.Last week, the Court had expressed doubts regarding the validity of the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit set by the Centre for EWS criteria, and had sought responses on certain specific issues. The bench, also comprising Justices Vikram Nath and BV Nagarathna, had last week posted the matters for hearing on October 28.

BREAKING : NEET-PG Counselling Won't Start Until Supreme Court Decides Validity Of EWS-OBC Reservation In AIQ, Assures Centre

Mehal Jain

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