NEET-PG vacant seats: 'You're playing with future of students', SC to Medical Counselling Committee

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday censured the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) warning that it is playing with the future of students. The court noted that leaving seats in NEET-PG vacant not only puts aspirants in a difficult situation but also leads to a dearth of qualified doctors.

A Bench comprising Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose was hearing a plea seeking a Special Stray Round of counselling to allow the candidates to participate for vacant seats available after the conduct of a stray vacant round of All India Quota.

Around 1,456 seats have remained vacant from May onwards.

According to Live Law, the petition was preferred by the doctors who appeared in NEET-PG 2021 and participated in rounds 1 and 2 of All India Quota Counselling and State Quota Counselling which was followed by All India Mop-Up and State Mop-Up rounds.

"Even if the single-seat has remained vacant, it must not remain unfilled. It's your duty to see that they don't remain vacated. You're playing with the future of students," the Bench reportedly told counsel appearing for the Medical Counselling Committee.

The Bench stated that in May when the authorities got to know that the seats were vacant, they should have conducted a mop-up round.

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According to a report, what further angered the court was that no law officer appeared for the Centre despite the court directing the petitioner on Monday to serve a copy on the Centre and additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati. A lawyer appearing for the Centre told the court that ASG Balbir Singh was to appear but he is in personal difficulty and cannot appear. 

The bench said, “This is a very important matter concerning medical admissions. The Union government is not run by a single officer. Tell him to remain present tomorrow.” The court directed the Centre and MCC to file responses within the end of this day and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.