SC gives way for 'mop up counselling extension' for vacant SS seats

An earlier decision by the Supreme Court, refusing to grant counselling extension for medical super-speciality seats has now been revised in a separate bench order, wherein, the holding of mop-up counselling within the next 10 days has been directed.

The directive to this effect to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) came from the bench of Justices UU Lalit and AK Goel, who ordered the filling up of 553 vacant SS seats, within the next week or ten days, through the mop-up admission counselling process.

The Court has instructed the DGHS to fix the counselling date and time for candidates, urging it to give ample publicity to the counselling schedule for five continuous days. The publicity campaign will be carried out- both in Newspapers and on the Medical Council of India and DGHS websites.

The order also marks the joining period after counselling to not extend beyond 4 days.

The extension of the deadline is only applicable for the present academic year, the court has clarified.

The earlier decision by the apex court related to refusal of counselling extension, regardless of pleadings, was done as the court felt that the concern voiced in these pleas travelled from the rational to the emotional sphere.

The September 22 order of the bench, led by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra held its grounds against the apprehensions expressed about vacant seats in SS courses, and requests for a further extension from the assigned September 14 date.

The stance taken by the Court was related to the Council ‘s fear that an extension of dates would mean breaking disciplinary grounds essential in academic admissions. The court felt that giving in to the pleas would result in ineligible students, earning an advantage.

“We are of the convinced opinion that an extension at this juncture would not be appropriate. A sense of concern is one thing, but sustenance of discipline and order is another aspect. Weighing both the concepts in a balanced manner, we unhesitatingly come to the conclusion that the prayers made in the interlocutory applications do not deserve any acceptance and, accordingly, they stand rejected.”

Despite the Centre favouring an extension, the Court continued to hold its ground.

Of the innumerable petitions filed one was that of the 23 doctors seeking an extended round for vacant seats in government and private colleges for NEET SS qualifiers.

NEET-SS makes qualifiers eligible for various DM/M.Ch. courses under the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2016.

Chennai doctor T.T. Senthilnathan along with other petitioners held that above 25% of seats in super-speciality DM/M.Ch courses had still not found any takers, despite two rounds of counselling, reports the Hindu.

Read Also: Unfortunate: 500 seats vacant in SS courses in AP,Telangana, 100 in Tamil Nadu