SC allows OCI candidates to appear in NEET 2021 counselling in general category

Supreme Court has permitted that Overseas Citizens of India(OCI) can participate in the NEET 2021 counselling in the general category.

The Supreme Court has passed an interim order to permit Overseas Citizens of India(OCI) candidates in the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate) 2021 counselling in the general category this year.

Earlier, OCI candidates had filed a writ petition challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification that stated for college admissions treat OCI candidates at par with Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) which means they would have to pay the higher fee as paid by NRIs for securing medical seats in India.

A bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari passed the order.

“We are of the view that at least for the current academic year 2021-2022, the petitioners are entitled to be considered eligible for all the medical seats which the OCIs were eligible for before the issuance of the impugned notification dated March 4, 2021. Therefore, we direct the National Testing Agency to declare the result of the examination taken by the petitioners NEET-UG 2021 and the eligible petitioners are permitted to appear for the counselling in the general category,” reads the court order.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the government and argued in the court that allowing OCI candidates to participate in the general category counselling would result in taking a chunk of seats away from Indian citizens and also these students would return to their countries with the degrees.

“We have nothing against OCIs. But equating them with our citizen students who have aspirations over scarce medical seats is not fair. That was why the OCIs were put on par with the NRIs… In fact, equating them with NRIs is also not right… NRIs continue to be Indian citizens while OCIs have pledged their allegiance to another country,” said Bhati.

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