NEET-PG counseling: Government to retain Rs. 8 lakh EWS criterion
What's the story
The central government on Friday submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court (SC) concerning Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation in undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats. The conditions for EWS reservation will stay the same for this academic year and new rules will take effect next year, the affidavit stated. The government said changing the criteria in the middle of the process may cause problems.
Context
Why does it matter?
The 10% EWS quota decision is being challenged before a five-judge SC bench as it provides rights identical to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Earlier, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had guaranteed that the counseling will begin before January 6. The delay in NEET-PG counseling has caused a staff shortage at hospitals, impacting healthcare services—further aggravated by overworked resident doctors protesting.
Affidavit
What did the affidavit say?
The government has accepted the suggestions made by a committee for revisiting the EWS reservation criterion. Candidates from households with an annual income of up to Rs. eight lakh will be eligible for EWS reservation. However, a person whose family owns over five acres of agricultural property will not be eligible. The committee also proposed that the requirement for residential assets be removed.
Committee
'Applying new rules impractical, unadvisable'
The committee said applying the new criterion in the middle of ongoing processes is "completely unadvisable and impractical." The same is bound to "result in a spate of litigations in various courts across the country," it said. The committee hence recommended continuing with the existing process for now and implementing the new criterion from the next admission cycle for NEET-PG.
Court proceedings
What happened in courts earlier?
Previously, the court had asked the government to clarify the procedures it used to set the EWS eligibility condition. It noted that the quota cap for OBCs and EWS were similar and argued the latter do not suffer from "social and educational backwardness." "Therefore, by having a similar scheme for both, you are making unequals equals," it had said.
Protest
Counseling delay triggered protests
The lack of an upcoming batch resulted in a one-third staffing deficit in hospitals, prompting doctors to stage protests. After being barred from marching to the Supreme Court, resident doctors in Delhi had a standoff with the police. The doctors claimed that the Supreme Court and the Union Health Ministry should expedite court hearings and conclude the issue as soon as possible.