There are tense times if you are a medical aspirant. The counselling for NEET has been put on hold until the supreme court announces its verdict in the petitions against the Other Backwards Classes and Economically Weaker Sections in the All India Quota (AIQ). The wait, however, might just be coming to an end, as the court is expected to give its judgement in the case today.
The SC is hearing a batch of petitions from students who claim that the reservation is disadvantageous for a large number of doctors from unreserved categories. The SC bench, led by Justice DY Chandrachud had a bone to pick with the centre's decision to set the eligibility income cap at Rs 8 lakh for both groups, calling the decision arbitrary. Not one to mince his words, Justice Chandrachud said, "You must have some demographic or sociological or socio-economic data. You just cannot pull out 8 lakh from thin air, you are making unequals equals."
Asking the centre to answer a list of questions on the matter and submit an affidavit, the SC had put the counselling on hold on October 25. The hearing is scheduled for today, and in the meantime, the centre has filed the requested affidavit. It has explained its stance after speaking with experts.
The AIQ was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit-based opportunities to students from any state to study at a good medical college located in another state. AIQ consists of 15 per cent of the total available undergraduate seats and 50% of the total available post-graduate seats in government medical colleges. It was only in 2007 that the Supreme Court introduced a reservation of 15 per cent for SC and 7.5 per cent for ST students under the AIQ Scheme.
Watch this space for all updates on the case, and how to go about the NEET counselling process once it starts.
