NEET: Supreme Court orders combined counselling in Maharashtra

The court also said the admissions already made would not get affected

In a major relief to the students, the Supreme Court today ordered for combined counselling for all unfilled medical seats in Maharashtra.

The court also clarified the admissions already made would not get affected. Thousands of medical students, who cleared National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) this year, have already got seats in various colleges.

What else is in news

“This, however, will not disturb the admissions already made by the respondent universities. This direction is given keeping in view that respondents are deemed universities. Insofar as admission process of subsequent years is concerned, it shall depend upon the outcome of the central issue raised in the writ petitions,” the bench said.

The apex court also said the admission process has to be completed by October 7. It directed that all the records pertaining to admissions with the universities shall be handed over to the committee of the state government for counselling purposes.

With this decision, confusion over admission to private and deemed universities in the state is cleared. The deemed universities argued the state government is violating their fundamental right to administer their own institutions and hold individual counselling for students.

As per reports, 85 per cent seats are already filled.

The apex court vacated the stay order by the High Court allowing deemed universities to conduct admissions to medical courses and said it “shall not continue for future years”.

Read: Supreme Court okays medical, dental admissions at deemed varsities in Maharashtra, till Sept 16

Story continues below this ad

The high court had on August 30 stayed the Maharashtra government’s decision mandating centralised counselling for the students who appeared for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) this year for medical and dental courses.

It had allowed the deemed universities in Maharashtra to hold their own counselling sessions for the admissions.

For more news on education, click here