NEET UG 2024 counseling postponed
What's the story
The counseling for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET) 2024, which was supposed to begin on Saturday (July 6), has been postponed until further notice. This announcement came even after the Supreme Court refused to defer the counseling for the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 examination, saying it is not an "open and shut" process.
Procedure
NEET UG counseling process explained
The NEET UG counseling process is a multi-step procedure that includes several rounds, such as stray vacancy and mop-up rounds. To participate, qualifying students must register, pay the counseling fees, fill in and lock their choices, upload necessary documents, and personally report to their allotted institute. This comprehensive process ensures a fair allocation of seats to eligible candidates.
Coverage
Scope of AIQ NEET UG counseling
The 15% All-India Quota (AIQ) NEET UG counseling covers seats in government colleges, central universities, and deemed universities. It also includes seats reserved for children of Insured Persons (IP quota) in Employees's State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical colleges. Additionally, seats at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune are part of this quota, providing a wide range of opportunities for aspiring medical students.
Controversy
NEET examination controversy
The NEET examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centers, and around 24 lakh students appeared for it. The results were announced on June 4, 10 days earlier than initially expected due to the early completion of the answer sheet evaluation. When the results were announced, a staggering 67 students had achieved the perfect score of 720 marks. Over 1,563 candidates were also awarded grace marks for "loss of time," but they were later made to retake the test.
Demand
SC will hear various NEET UG pleas on July 8
Amid the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET, students nationwide held protests demanding the cancellation of the exam. The Union Government has, however, opposed the cancellation, saying it would be irrational to cancel it due to a lack of evidence for a large-scale breach of confidentiality. On June 21, the SC refused to defer the counseling process and posted the matter for hearing on July 8, along with other pleas alleging irregularities in the conduct of the examination.