The uncertainty surrounding the third round of counselling for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) admissions at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (GMCH-32), Chandigarh, may finally end. On March 24, the Supreme Court directed the institution to conduct the pending counselling round without further delay.
As highlighted by The Indian Express, the third round had originally been slated for February 5. However, it was indefinitely postponed following the apex court’s verdict on January 29, which disallowed domicile-based reservation in postgraduate medical admissions under the state quota.
This verdict led to apparent confusion at GMCH-32, where Director-Principal Dr AK Atri stated that although 35 state quota seats were vacant, the institute was unable to proceed due to the ambiguity surrounding the judgement.
The Supreme Court has now provided clarity: admissions are to be conducted on a 50 per cent all-India quota and a 50 per cent institutional quota basis. The court also ordered GMCH-32 to move forward with the counselling. According to Dr Atri, the institution is now waiting for the court order to be uploaded before finalising the dates for the third counselling.
A senior professor who spoke to The Indian Express speculates that the third round is likely to be conducted within the next 10 days, with 38 seats still vacant, as the case has been dismissed by the top court.
Neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have already completed their counselling rounds as per the same prospectus used before the Supreme Court’s ruling, helping avoid delays.
Students, who had been in limbo for weeks, expressed relief. One student summed up the collective sentiment: “With the judgement, we will not waste a year, and it is a big relief for us.”
The all-India quota counselling has already concluded, with those selected taking admissions in their respective institutions.
