When will the NEET Counselling start?

The counselling for NEET 2021 may now be deferred by another four weeks as the Centre has decided to review the limit of 8 Lakh rupees determined for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota.

Students who have cleared the NEET exam 2021 are anxiously waiting for the counselling to start for the admissions in medical and dental colleges. Their wait may now be extended for the next one month. According to Live Law, the Central Government has told the Supreme Court that it is ready to review the limit of 8 Lakh for the EWS category but it may take at least four more weeks to work out the required things.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre Government to put on hold the counselling for NEET PG until the Apex Court decides the validity of the Centre’s decision to introduce OBC and EWS reservation. The centre had put the Rs. 8 Lakh annual income fixed for determining the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category for reservation in NEET admissions for Post-Graduate medical courses.

A bench consisting of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that a committee will be constituted to determine the criteria for EWS, He told the court that it would take four weeks. The Solicitor General also assured a bench that the counselling for NEET won’t take place until then.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, who is representing the petitioners, had asked the court, whether Rs 70,000 income per month can be called EWS?  On this objection, Justice Kant said that the aspect of limit can be worked out. The question came after the writ petitions challenging 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and 10 per cent reservation for EWS in all-India Quota seats for postgraduate medical courses were filed in Supreme Court.

Whatever may be the decision, this may extend the wait for the students who are declared successful in NEET 2021 exam. Students are anxiously waiting for the admission process to start. Though, the NEET counselling for 85 per cent of state quota seats is conducted by different state agencies. Students who want to take MBBS admission under state quota seats will have to apply through state counselling websites. So far, the Assam NEET counselling merit list has been released.