The Supreme Court Friday, September 17, sought responses from the Union government and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on a plea against the July 29 notice providing 27% reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) and 10% for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category in NEET admissions for medical courses. A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna issued notice and sought replies from the Union government and the MCC on a plea filed by eight petitioners, including those who would be appearing in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) postgraduate exams. The bench tagged the plea with pending petitions on similar issues.
The fresh plea, filed through advocate Vivek Singh, said that a notice was issued on July 29 regarding the OBC and EWS category reservations in the all-India quota for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses for the academic session 2021-22. Seeking quashing of the notice, the plea alleged that the attempt to provide for reservation in 50% all India quota seats in PG medical course is clearly contrary to the law laid down by the apex court earlier.
It is submitted that the General category students applying for postgraduate medical courses are being reduced to a miniscule minority, the plea said, adding that the number of seats for PG medical courses are limited and providing seats based on reservation is a denial of opportunity to meritorious candidates. On September 6, the top court had issued notices on similar petitions.
One of the petitions had said that the petitioners and similarly affected candidates were “shocked” to note that the committee vide the impugned notice had resolved to implement 27% OBC reservation and 10% EWS reservation in 15% UG and 50% PG All India Quota seats (MBBS/BDS and MD/MS/MDS) with effect from current academic session 2021-22. The petitioners had sought quashing of the July 29 notice, which provided for implementation of the prescribed reservation criteria with effect from academic session 2021-22.
They had said that as per the reservation policy, the overall reservation in 15% UG and 50% PG All India Quota seats would be — SC - 15%, ST - 7.5%, OBC- (non-creamy layer) as per the Central OBC list - 27%, Economically Weaker Section, as per Union government norms - 10% and persons with disability- 5% horizontal reservation as per norms.
On July 29, the Union government had decided to provide 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% reservation for EWS in the all India Quota scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses (MBBS /MD/MS/Diploma/BDS /MDS).