The Supreme court on Tuesday directed Maharashtra government to conduct the final round of counselling for admissions to postgraduate medical and dental courses in the state for the academic year 2019-20 and also asked it conclude the process before June 14. The bench comprising Indu Malhotra and MR Shah passed the order on pleas filed by medical students who sought a fresh round of counselling after re-drawing the merit list for admissions to PG medical and dental course for the year 2019- 2020.
The students approached the court after it stayed the state government’s decision to grant 10 per cent quota to students of economically weaker sections in PG medical and dental courses for the current academic year. The bench also directed that no further petition or application with regard to PG medical and dental admissions in Maharashtra for the present academic year will be entertained by any other court.
One of the petitioners emphasized on the need of new seat matrix, fresh choice filing of medical streams and a fresh round of counselling for admissions in view of the fact that the top court has stayed 10 per cent quota to students of economically weaker sections (EWS) in courses for the current academic year.
Another petitioner sought restoration of 10 per cent EWS quota in admissions to PG medical and dental course in 2019-20. The top court had taken a strong note of a clause of the notice issued by the state government’s Common Entrance Test (CET) cell after it had passed the earlier order. The clause specified the admission process for all candidates except those admitted under the EWS category from the previous admission process would not be disturbed.
