The Supreme Court has asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to hold the NEET MDS counselling immediately. A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising of justices DY Chandrachud was hearing a plea by MDS aspirants, filed by Advocate Tanvi Dubey. While the result of the entrance examination was published in December, the counselling is yet to be held.
"We wanted to ask you, these petitioners appeared in NEET MDS and results were declared in December. Merely because NEET PG has been postponed how can you stop counselling for MDS?" Justice Chandrachud asked the Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj, representing the government. "I don’t understand why one batch has been suffering. Kumbh Mela, election rallies have been happening. There’s no justification why counselling can’t take place," he added.
Criticising the government, the judge added, "The Government is just dilly-dallying. We wanted you to tell us when you are holding counselling. You have to hold counselling immediately. They are qualified BDS Doctors, wasting a year of their lives. Allow these doctors to be in service." The matter will be next heard on Monday.
The plea had said that these doctors are challenging the 'unjust and infinite delay' caused by the Medical Counselling Council in announcing the counselling schedule for NEET-MDS, 2021. "SC observed that an expeditious decision is expected in this week and also that the centre must be conscious of the ramifications of the delay faced by students due to the non-counselling," tweeted advocate Dubey, after the hearing.
