NEET PG 2021 Counselling: Supreme Court to hear plea on OBC, EWS reservation today

After the Centre had requested an urgent hearing on the EWS quota case, the Supreme Court of India scheduled the hearing for today, January 5, 2022.

The Supreme Court of India will hear today the plea challenging the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota reservation. 

Pending cases in Supreme Court related to OBC (Other Backward Classes) and EWS reservation has resulted in the unprecedented delay in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2021 Counselling. As a result, in absence of first-year postgraduate medical students in government hospitals, resident doctors were overburdened and they were also fearing that the third wave amid this situation will further weaken the health care system of the country.

After almost a month of protest by the resident doctors all across the county, the Central government assured them of an immediate start of NEET-PG 2021 Counselling and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also assured the protesting doctors that the government will get the case mentioned in the top court for an early hearing and will also try to get the NEET PG 2021 Counselling delinked with the Reservation Policy to expedite the counselling process.

Let's take a look at the significant events related to OBC, EWS reservation in medical admissions till today:

July 29, 2021: The Central government approved the 27% reservation for OBC and 10% reservation for EWS in the All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses from the current academic year 2021-22 onwards. The reservations are applicable for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), MD (Doctor of Medicine), MS (Master of Surgery), Diploma, BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Courses.

September 6, 2021: Supreme Court issued a notice to the Central government, Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and National Board of Examinations (NBE) on plea challenging the 27% OBC and 10% EWS reservation in AIQ for medical admissions.

November 25, 2021: Centre informed the Supreme Court that it will take four weeks time to revisit the NR 8 lakh annual income limit for determining the EWS category and will conduct NEET PG 2021 Counselling only after taking a final decision on the criteria.

November 27, 2021: Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) started a nationwide strike of resident doctors demanding the expedition of NEET PG 2021 Counselling.

December 31, 2021: FORDA decided to call off strike after meeting with Delhi Police and Union Health Minister.

January 3, 2021: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on behalf of the Centre mentioned before the Supreme Court bench for an early hearing of the NEET EWS quota case.

January 5, 2021: Supreme Court hearing on EWS quota case in front of the bench comprising Justices Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna.

January 7, 2021: The Supreme Court has allowed 27% reservation for OBC and 10% reservation for EWS under AIQ from the academic session 2021-22 and accepted INR 8 lakh annual income criteria for determining the EWS category.

Read more:

• SC issues notice to Centre on plea challenging AIQ reservations in MBBS
• Will try to delink NEET PG 2021 Counselling from Reservation Policy: Health Minister to FORDA