A petition has been filed in the Kerala High Court by NEET PG qualified candidates against the Kerala state government's circular dated October 20, 2021, to increase the reservation for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) from 9% to 27%. The matter has been admitted by Justice N Nagaresh and will be up for hearing on November 29.
The petitioners claim that the increase eats away at the General category seats and goes against the spirit of the Supreme Court's directions in an older case, that reservation at the super-specialty level in medical education should be kept to a minimum, according to a report by LiveLaw. They also cited other cases where the Supreme Court has maintained that increasing reservation for these seats at the PG level would lead to a 'dilution of merit' and that the state must explain why a 9% reservation isn't enough if it intends to increase the reservation. The petitioners have claimed that no such explanation was given when the circular was released.
The students have also said that the situation in Kerala is unlike the rest of the country, where SEBC candidates are 'adequately represented'. They requested the court to quash the circular.
Counselling for NEET PG has been put on hold until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict in the petition against the All India Quota reservation for OBC and EWS candidates at 27% and 10% respectively. The next hearing is scheduled for January 6 and junior doctors across the country are threatening a strike if the centre doesn't expedite the counselling.
