Blitz Bureau
INDIA is facing acute shortage of doctors, the Supreme Court has said while directing the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to conduct a special round of counselling to fill vacant medical seats for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate courses, according to Bar and Bench.
A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan passed directions on a plea seeking directions to the admission authorities to conduct stray/ special counselling round for the seats remaining vacant even after the fifth round of counselling.
“Taking into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances and further that the precious medical seats should not go in waste, when the country is facing acute shortage of Doctors, we are inclined to extend the period by way of a last chance.
The Admission Authorities are, therefore, directed to hold a fresh stray/special counselling for the seats remaining vacant and complete the admission process prior to December 30, 2024 in any eventuality,” the court said. The Apex court further directed that no college would be permitted to admit students directly and admission should be conducted only through the State Admission Authorities.
It further clarified that the stray/ special admission process should not disturb the admission which are already finalised and the admissions would be made only from the waitlisted candidates. It directed that the vacant NRI seats would also be converted into the general category quota and should be filled through the State Admission Authorities.