What about NEET UG Counselling? Doctors ask MCC

Even though the Supreme Court has recently clarified that the NEET UG and PG Counselling can commence as per existing criteria for both EWS and OBC candidates, there has not been any word regarding the NEET UG Counselling schedule yet.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the counselling at both UG and PG level had been postponed after the Central Government's policy of EWS and OBC reservation came to be challenged before the Supreme Court.

In fact, disappointed over the continuous delay in the NEET PG Counselling process and the lack of workforce in the hospitals, the doctors across the Nation had given a call for agitation and protest. At several institutes, OPD and Emergency services had been stopped.

Finally, the Central Government took one month's time to reconsider the criteria for the EWS quota and on January 7, the top court gave its go-ahead for NEET PG counselling as per existing criteria both for EWS & OBC. The court, in the judgment, has also upheld the validity of 27% OBC and it permitted 10% EWS under existing criteria.

Also Read: Relief: Supreme Court allows NEET 2021, NEET PG 2021 counselling with existing quota, to take final call for next year

However, as the reservation in All India Quota seats for both UG and PG admissions had been questioned, along with NEET PG Counselling, NEET UG Counselling had also been postponed.

Meanwhile, the schedule for NEET PG Counselling has been released and the counselling is set to begin from January 12, i.e. today. However, no such timeline has been mentioned for the NEET UG Counselling yet.

Referring to this, FORDA in the letter directed to the ADGME of MCC mentioned, "We would like to draw your attention towards the plight of thousands of Medical aspirants across the nation who had appeared & cleared the NEET-UG Entrance Examination & are eagerly waiting for commencement of NEET-UG Counselling 2021. Similar to Broad Speciality Courses, there has been no admission of Under-Graduate students in the current Academic Year, owing to postponement of the Counselling."

"Though it was notified that along with NEET-PG Counselling, NEET-UG Counselling will also commence soon, there has been no further update in this regard yet. This has led to a lot of anxiety & confusion among the aspirants. We would hereby request you to kindly take note of the grievance of Medical aspirants of the nation & take necessary measures for commencement of NEET-UG Counselling 2021 at the earliest," further mentioned the letter.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Dr Manish, the President of FORDA said, "The aspirants are facing the loss of one whole year. A lot of them had reached us with their problems and that is why we decided to write to the MCC."

"We have received assurance from the officials that the counselling schedule will be released soon, probably by the next week," he added.