The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Masters of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS) Counselling 2020 will be held virtually within four weeks as per the existing reservation policies, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has informed the Supreme Court recently, reported Bar and Bench.
The petition of Saloni Kumari vs Director General of Health Services remains pending before the top court and several writ petitions filed before the Madras High Court seeking 27 percent OBC reservation in All India Quota seats also remains pending.
As per the reply to the petition, it stated that the delay in the counselling process was due to the clarification sought from the top court regarding the reservation for OBC seats in All India Quota (AIQ) seats contributed by the state medical colleges under the AIQ scheme.
“You are just dilly dallying. Make a statement now. Ministry of Health is just dilly dallying. These are hands on courses and these doctors will be in service of patients,” Justice DY Chandrachud said regarding the counselling process, as reported by Bar and Bench.
The top court had taken exception to the delay by the central government in not being able to arrive at a decision and fix a date for the counselling. It has asked the government to do so by this week. “We hope the centre will be conscious to the ramifications of the delay being faced by students due to the non-counselling of students,” the Court added.
A plea was filed earlier before the SC against the infinite delay in the counselling process by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). As per the plea, the entrance exam was conducted on December 16 and the results were declared on December 31, 2020, and had asked the MCC to fix the counselling session dates at the earliest. It also stated that the delay in the counselling process is “unjust”.
Usually, the NEET MDS and NEET PG counselling process is held together. In this regard, the plea had stated that the duration of announcement of results of MDS and PG exams is at least one month as per last year and the counselling schedule for the NEET-PG is released three months after the results. This is it would result in an infinitely delay for the NEET-MDS aspirants, hence their counselling should be held earlier.