NEET-PG admissions: SC to hear plea today

The matter has been listed before the bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna. It was earlier being heard by a three-judge bench headed by Justice Chandrachud.

On November 25, 2021, the bench had fixed it for hearing next on January 6, 2022. But with the Centre citing urgency, the matter has now been listed before the two-judge bench.

The government had been pushing for the case to be taken up at the earliest since resident doctors of several hospitals were protesting in Delhi and other parts of the country over the delay in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-PG) counselling.

Counselling was postponed since the Centre, in response to queries from the court, had assured that the process will remain pending while the court is seized of the matter.

As the court reopened after Christmas holidays on Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged Justice Chandrachud to list the matter on Tuesday. The bench said it will discuss the issue with Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, as it is he who constitutes benches.

With the matter not listed for hearing on Tuesday, Mehta brought it again to the CJI’s notice during the day.

CJI N V Ramana said the difficulty was that the court had listed only miscellaneous matters for hearing this week, and to hear the NEET matter, the special bench that was hearing it earlier will have to be reconstituted. “I (will) have to constitute a special bench… Let me see if we can constitute a bench tomorrow (Wednesday),” the CJI said.

Mehta then cited the protests by doctors and requested the court to list the matter for hearing urgently. “It concerns EWS…. There’s a statement made by us which prevents further counselling of resident doctors… Resident doctors are protesting and their concerns are genuine,” he told the court.

CJI Ramana assured that he will consider the request. “Let me see. If possible I will constitute a three-judge bench or it will go before a division bench tomorrow,” the CJI said.