BREAKING| NEET-PG :Supreme Court Cancels Mop-Up Round Counselling For AIQ; Opens 146 Additional Seats For Students Who Joined Round 2

In a major development, the Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the All India Quota Mop-Up Round Counselling for NEET-PG 2021-2022 admissions in order to resolve the anomalies arising from the addition of 146 seats to the Mop Up Round which were not available to candidates in Rounds 1 and 2 of the AIQ.The Court has directed the holding of a Special Round of Counselling for the 146 seats and has allowed students who have joined the AIQ or the State Quota in Round 2 to participate in this round for 146 seats. The authorities are directed to invite options from students within 24 hours of issuing the fresh notification and complete the process within 72 hours after the cut-off time for giving options. After that, the authorities should hold a mop up round, and endeavour to complete the same within 72 hours.The Court has also upheld the March 16 advisory which prevents students who have taken seats in State Quota after Round 2 from participating in the Mop-Up.The bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Bela M Trivedi passed the following directions:1. The All India Quota Mop Up Round Counselling shall stand cancelled.2. For the 146 additional seats which became available after the AIQ Round 2 on 16 March 2022, a Fresh Mop-upound of counselling shall be conducted as a special case. Students who have joined in Round 2, either in state quota or AIQ, will be at liberty to participate in the fresh round of counselling without any financial penalties. In order to facilitate the expeditious completion of the process, the DGHS shall invite options from students within 24 hours of uploading of notification and process shall be completed with a period of 72 hours after the cut-off for receipt of options.3. A fresh Mop Up Round for AIQ seats shall be endeavoured to be conducted and completed within a period of two week thereafter.4. In line with the notification of 5 April 2018, students who have joined in round 2 of State Quota shall not be eligible to participate in the mop-up round for State or All India Quota.The Court clarified that the directions have been issued invoking powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to resolve the imbroglio. This means, the directions will have no effect of a precedent.Yesterday, observing that there were problematic aspects in the process of counselling for mop-up rounds for the NEET-PG All India Quota seats, the Supreme Court had asked the Union of India through the Director General of Health Services ("DGHS") to revisit the issues to set right the anomalies highlighted by the Court.The Court expressed concerns at two aspects :1. The addition of 146 new seats in government colleges in the mop-up round, which were not available in rounds 1 and 2; 2. The lack of uniform application of the notice dated March 16 of the Medical Counselling Committee which bars students who have taken admissions in state quota from participating in the mop-up round.To obviate further complications, the Court ordered that the position in mop-up round counselling be kept at where it is now till the matter is heard today.Court room exchange todayWhen the matter was taken today, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, submitted that the Director General of Health Services ("DGHS") is proposing to drop the 146 seats for the current year.As regards the March 16 advisory, the ASG said that it is in tune with the Supreme Court direction in Nikhila PP case but the problem arose as the many states did not inform the Centre as to who had taken admissions in the State Quota.The Bench expressed concerns at the move to drop the 146 seats and asked if it was possible to hold a fresh round for those seats."You can have additional rounds for 146 seats...we will have 146 more doctors and immediately have fresh mop up. You don't have to drop it. This is an alternative...It is such a criminal way to drop these 146 seats", Justice Chandrachud observed.The Bench also pondered over the issue of asking 146 students who have joined to exit."146 students have already joined but if we drop but then they will have to leave right? 146 students have joined the 146 seats. It would be unconscionable on my part as judge. We are in a catch 22 situation. We would rather live with injustice of these 146 seats, someone will get educated you know", the judge added.Saying that the Court did not want the 146 seats to lapse this year, Justice Chandrachud added :"What we will say is you hold fresh round for 146 seats. Ask for options within 24 hours from students and complete it within 1 week".As regards the March 16 advisory, the judge added :"We will accept your advisory that students who participated in round 2 of state quota to not join AIQ Mop Up".Advocate Shivendra Singh, appearing in the petition challenging the March 16 advisory, argued that it was against the scheme and that until March 16, the students were given to believe that those who have taken state quota seats will be eligible to participate in Mop Ups for...

BREAKING| NEET-PG :Supreme Court Cancels Mop-Up Round Counselling For AIQ; Opens 146 Additional Seats For Students Who Joined Round 2

Shruti Kakkar

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