The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking the cancellation and re-conduction of Round 3 of NEET-PG 2024 counselling under the All India Quota (AIQ). The court, comprising Justices BR Gavai and K Vinod Chandran, rejected the request, citing concerns raised by the National Medical Commission (NMC) that such a move would have widespread consequences across states. The bench found no merit in the plea, emphasizing that students had already participated in the counselling process, and any alterations would disrupt the system.
The petitioners, who were eligible for NEET-PG 2024 counselling, argued that AIQ Round 3 had begun before the completion of Round 2 counselling in some states, preventing them from making informed choices between state and national seats. They claimed this discrepancy disadvantaged meritorious candidates by allowing seat blocking, ultimately leading to the loss of better opportunities. The plea alleged that this was inconsistent with the counselling schedule set by the Supreme Court, causing unfair outcomes for many applicants.
Meanwhile, the NEET-UG 2024 application process commenced on Friday and will remain open until March 7, with over 24 lakh candidates expected to apply for 1,08,000 MBBS seats. In other Supreme Court matters, a PIL by a retired Army officer alleging intelligence lapses before the 1999 Kargil War was dismissed, with the court deeming it an internal executive matter. Additionally, the bench ruled that all bail pleas stemming from the same FIR should be heard by a single judge or bench in high courts to maintain consistency in rulings.