From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its annoyance at the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on 1,456 vacant seats in NEET PG-2021, saying it can not tolerate playing with the future of students.
If the students are not given admission, a vacation bench of Justices M R Shah and Aniruddha Bose warned that it will pass order and also grant them compensation. It was irked on being told that as many as 1,456 seats remained vacant in the medical colleges in 2021-2022 session.
The Bench ordered the officers concerned to remain present in the court on Thursday when it will pass an order in the matter. “We will pass orders for paying compensation…Who’s responsible for this situation?…Call your officers on Thursday, the Bench told the MCC counsel.
The top court stressed that the country badly needs doctors and super speciality medical professionals. It repeatedly said: “We need doctors. Why is there no streamlining? Do you know the stress level of the students and the parents?”
It was hearing a plea by Dr Atharv Tungatkar, who appeared for the NEET PG-2021 and qualified. “The petitioner is constrained that precious medical seats may go unfilled and merit may be the caualty…..The modified scheme recorded in this court’s order 16.12.2021 does not provide for what happens to those AIQ (All India Quota) seats that remain vacant despite the fourth round of counselling.”
The Court allowed the counsel to place an affidavit on record to explain the matter, when he pleaded that any court order would lead to cascading effect. It asked him: “Why are you adding the seats during the midst of the counselling? There must be a cut-off that as on that date, there are a number of seats.
It asked why the authorities did not conduct a mop-up round on learning about teh vacant seats in May. It said the Centre and the MCC have played with the life of students, by not conducting a mop-up round of counselling for students.
