The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition seeking directions to cancel the third phase of All India Quota (AIQ) counseling for NEET-PG, 2023 and re-conduct it when all States should complete the second phase of their state quota counseling.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued notice to the Medical Counseling Committee, four states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana) and others on a petition jointly filed by 20 candidates.

The bench refused to issue any interim order to stay the All India Quota counselling, but decided to hear the matter next on October 6. The bench made oral remarks that the third phase counseling of All India Quota will be based on the decision of the court.

Senior lawyer Rana Mukherjee argued that the Medical Counseling Committee had started All India Quota Counseling on September 9 when the second phase was to be completed in many states. It was said that the third phase of counseling of All India Quota should be held only when all the states have completed the second phase of counseling so that the practice of allotment of two seats to the same candidate can be avoided.

Due to the commencement of the third phase of AIQ before the completion of the second phase in all the states, the candidates who are still participating in the second phase of state counseling or have got seats in the second phase will be allowed to participate in the third phase of AIQ counseling also and Opportunity is being given to block seats.

The petition also references the November 2022 order of the apex court, in which it had instructed the lagging states to conclude the second phase of counseling by the specified date, enabling the commencement of the third phase of AIQ thereafter.

Also Read - SC condemns Lawyers' Strike at Jaipur Bench of Raj. HC