On Friday, June 10, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea which was filed by MBBS students seeking a stray round of counselling for admission in NEET-PG 2021, because 1,456 seats were still vacant.
Since nine rounds of counselling had already been conducted, another fresh round of counselling at this stage would just lead to a delay in the academic session, said the bench, comprising Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose, as stated in a report by IANS.
The Supreme Court said that as it affects public health, the quality of education cannot be compromised. It further added that petitioners are not entitled to relief, and if a relief is granted now then it may affect medical education and public health.
The top court orally observed that there should be a limit for every exercise and admissions made after 1.5 years might compromise medical education and health of the people, while reserving order on pleas seeking a special stray round of counselling for NEET-PG 2021, to fill vacant seats.
The top court said there must be a limit on the number of rounds of counselling to fill vacant seats. "Since many years, the seats have remained vacant and it's not for the very first time....There has to be a limit for every exercise, and seats may remain vacant even after 10 rounds," said Justice Shah.
Furthermore, the bench also added that post eight to nine rounds of counselling, the seats are vacant and students cannot claim rights after one and a half years. "Can it be said now that after 1.5 years, you will be given admission and compromise the health of people," the bench orally remarked.
Noting that it's a three-year course, the bench added, "There cannot be any compromise with education.... Suppose you're hungry for six months, can you eat everything in 1 day? No...education is like that."
The Centre's counsel had already submitted that all those who qualified for NEET PG-2021 have started going to classes in February and if the seats that are vacant are filed now, students would be left behind in classes, by at least by six months. He also pointed out the fact that teachers would also have to teach the students who will come in NEET PG 2022.
It was also clarified by the centre's counsel that out of 1,456 vacant seats, most are in non-clinical or teaching, no one wants to get into the teaching area and no one has come forward for the deposits either. "These are seats taken, but admission not taken," added Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh, representing the central government.
The top court order came on the pleas by MBBS students seeking a stray round of counselling for admission in NEET-PG, 2021, to fill over 1,400 vacant seats.
