NEET-PG : Madras High Court Issues Notice On Doctors' Plea To Cancel TN State Mop-Up Round Counselling

The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued notice in a petition filed by five doctors seeking cancellation of the State Mop-Up Round Counselling held by the State of Tamil Nadu for NEET-PG admissions, on the basis of the Supreme Court's order cancelling the Mop Up rounds for All India Quota(AIQ).

A single bench of Justice Anita Sumanth issued notice to the State and posted the matter next on April 20. 

It may be noted that on March 31, the Supreme Court had ordered the cancellation of the Mop-Up Round counselling for AIQ after noting anomalies in the addition of 146 new seats. The Court had directed that a Special Round should be held for the newly added 146 seats, with opportunity for those who have not joined seats after Round-2 of the counselling. After the Special Round Counselling for 146 seats, Mop-Up round for AIQ was directed to be held. Subsequently, on April 7, the Supreme Court passed another order allowing students who had surrendered state quota seats before March 31 to re-join those seats by April 9.

Following the cancellation of Mop-Up rounds for AIQ, several states cancelled the Mop-Up rounds for State Quota seats. However, Tamil Nadu is yet to cancel the mop-up rounds. According to petitioners, this leads to an anomalous situation, as it denies meritorious candidates opportunities in State Quota seats.  It is argued that the decision of the State Government to not cancel the mop-up rounds even after the cancellation of the AIQ Mop-Up rounds is "manifestly arbitrary and unjust, as it dilutes the very concept of merit in admissions".

The petitioners highlight that the consistent practice has been that the AIQ counselling for each round is conducted before the State Counselling for such rounds, so that candidates have a chance to seek State Quota seats should they lose AIQ seats. This scheme has been disturbed by the Tamil Nadu decision to not cancel State Mop-Up Rounds.

Advocates Suhrith Parthasarathy and G Sankaran appeared for the petitioners. Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram appeared for the State.

Case : Dr Bharat Kannan and others versus State of Tamil Nadu and others.