Madras: MCI to continue with NEET counselling despite HC order

New Delhi: The apex education regulator, the Medical Council of India, (MCI) has decided to continue the counselling process for NEET qualifiers, despite the Madras High Court order to the Central Board of Secondary Education to stop it. This is being done on account of the fact that the concerned order has not been issued to the Council or the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare directly.

Medical Dialogues on Tuesday had reported that the Madras High Court had ordered the CBSE to grant 196 marks — 4 marks each for 49 erroneous questions — in the Tamil version of this year’s NEET to those who took the exam for medical admissions in the regional language.

Passing the orders on a public interest litigation, Justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahamed of the Madurai Bench had also directed the Central Board of Secondary Education to consequently revise the list of eligible candidates and publish it afresh.

Read also: CBSE to give 196 grace marks to students for erroneous questions in Tamil NEET exam: HC

However, a senior health ministry official of the medical education division commenting on the counselling status said "Neither MCI nor the ministry has received direct orders from the Court in this regard so we have decided to keep the process of counselling on, " to the TNIE

"The academic session in medical colleges will get delayed if we delay the process of counselling." While Another official said that the MCI and ministry are in touch with the CBSE to "resolve the issue".

"We are filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court immediately and are hoping to get a respite," he added to the TNIE.

The CBSE on its part has not come forth with clarity on the issue. It has merely stated that the court order is "being studied before next move was decided.

The Tamil Nadu Health Minister, C Vijaya Baskar has clarified that the State government would continue to remain the student's support plank and “safeguard their rights.”