Delay in NEET-MDS counselling callous: Supreme Court hits out at Modi government

Terming the Centre’s approach towards conducting counselling for NEET postgraduate dental surgery courses callous, the Supreme Court on Monday directed it to file an application seeking more time to address the sticking points.

Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj sought to shift the blame on another SC bench, saying the government was awaiting clarification on providing OBC quota to seats in the All India Quota (AIQ) pool. A committee was formed on the instructions of the Madras High Court to decide on OBC reservation in AIQ in state-run colleges for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but it is yet to take the final call. While ordering the setting up of the committee on July 27 last year, the high court had held that there was no constitutional or legal impediment to the extension of reservation for OBCs in the state-surrendered seats.

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The high court had also directed the panel to decide on the percentage of quota in three months. And, a three-member SC bench had in December upheld the HC order. With the panel through the ASG seeking some more time on Monday, the Supreme Court granted one week to move an application for extension of time.

“We will hear the matter after two weeks,” said a bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah. When the bench suggested that the Centre could move an application before the three-judge SC bench on the panel, the ASG said, “We are doing that.” “Doing what? You people only wake up when SC issues notices,” Justice Chandrachud remarked.