About thirty NEET-PG aspirants from Odisha have been rendered ineligible for participating in the State Counselling for the academic year 2022-23. When some of these students went for the document verification process scheduled for today, September 17, they were rejected.

The students have already filed a petition in the Odisha High Court regarding this yesterday, September 16. The case was listed for urgent hearing, and Debasis Mishra, an MBBS student from Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, informs that the case will be heard on Tuesday, September 20.

This is a result of the Odisha High Court passing an order which mentions that only those students who completed their internship on or before March 31, 2022, are eligible for participating in the counselling. It may be noted that this is in opposition to the NMC (National Medical Commission) notice, which according to the Supreme Court’s order, fixed July 31, 2022, as the date for internship completion.

The MBBS students are worried about their future and dejected that the DMET (Directorate of Medical Education & Training) Odisha officials are not apathetic to their problem. “It is also strange that the High Court should pass an order which goes against the Supreme Court,” Debasis says.