EWS reservations matter: MCC puts hold on MDS Counselling 2021

New Delhi: Through a recent notice, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has put a temporary hold on Round-1 MDS Counselling 2021.

This comes after MCC decided to seek clarification from Supreme Court on a judgement given by the Madras Court on 25.08.2021 on the matter of reservation where it stated that that additional reservation provided for economically weaker sections in the notification of July 29, 2021 cannot be permitted, except with the approval of the Supreme Court. The committee recently issued a notice in this regard stating:-

All Candidates/ Institutes participating in the MDS Counselling 2021 are hereby informed that vide judgement dated 25.08.2021 in Contempt Petition No. 181 of 2021 in W.P(C) No. 8326/2020 in the matter of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Vs. UoI & Ors. before the Hon'ble High Court of judicature at Madras the Hon'ble Court has directed as follows:

"Accordingly, the present lis is decided by holding as follows:

i. Since the committee required to be constituted by the order dated July 27, 2020 was constituted and such committee gave its opinion and the Union, or its appropriate agencies, have acted on the basis thereof- albeit not exactly in terms of the recommendations- no case of wilful or deliberate violation of the said order can be said to have been made out.

ii. The notification of July 29, 2021 issued by the Union as a consequence of the order dated July 27, 2020b appears to be in order in so far as it provides for reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBC categories. The horizontal reservation provided in such notification for persons with disabilities also appears to be in accordance with law.

iii. The additional reservation provided for economically weaker sections in the notification of July 29, 2021 cannot be permitted, except with the approval of the Supreme Court in such regard."