New Delhi, 17 December 2021 – The lack of an official update regarding the NEET 2021 counselling schedule for admission to the 15% All India Quota MBBS/BDS seats and 50% All India Quota PG seats has left many medical aspirants confused. Especially those students looking forward to admissions in MBBS and BDS courses have started flooding Twitter with questions regarding the NEET UG AIQ counselling 2021 date declaration.
The commotion started when the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate Counselling for the All India Quota (AIQ) seats, which usually starts in October-November, got delayed this year. However, NEET UG counselling at the state level is going on undeterred in states like Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.
Agitated by repeated delays in NEET counselling for AIQ seats, students have started posing questions on social media platforms.
Anything about #NEETUG counselling?
— Bishal (@hun__momo) December 13, 2021
Repeated Delay in NEET Counselling for All India Quota – Recent Updates
MBBS and BDS Admissions – In a notice shared by MCC (Medical Counselling Committee) on 10th December 2021, it has been indirectly hinted that the counselling process for admissions to MBBS and BDS (dental) courses may plausibly be delayed further.
Referring to the pending Supreme Court case related to OBC and EWS reservation in AIQ seats, MCC had mentioned in the official notice, “All candidates desiring to participate in NEET-UG, 2021 Counselling are hereby informed that the Office Memorandum dated 30.07.2021 is under challenge before the Supreme Court of India.”
Via the notice, it was also informed that the hearing of the next leg of proceedings shall be listed on 6th January 2022. PG Medical Admissions – Earlier, it was reported that the medical and dental course admissions at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels came to a pause when the Supreme Court took notice of pleas from OBC and EWS category students. The admissions had to be delayed due to the dispute over revising the income criteria for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota from the current upper limit of Rs 8 lakh a year.
The students challenged the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on providing 10% reservation to EWS students and 27% to OBC for PG medical admission through NEET PG counselling.
On 21st October 2021, the court advised the Centre to revisit the limit of INR 8 lakh annual income to determine the EWS reservation category in medical admissions through NEET PG counselling. Later, the Central Government justified the INR 8 lakh limit for EWS on 26th October 2021. When MCC directed the medical colleges to provide the requested reservation, scheduled caste students expressed doubts regarding the validity of the centre’s decision, thereby deferring the NEET PG counselling date.
Delay of NEET-UG AIQ Counselling – Effect on Students
The repercussion of delayed NEET UG counselling from the Central level has been drastic. Without counselling at the All India Quota (AIQ) level, students looking to secure admission to medical or dental institutes under the 15% quota have been left hanging.
The same would also affect the proceeding of scholarship opportunities as students will also not be able to apply for financial aid without admission proof. As it is well known that the process and progress of scholarship disbursals take time, delay in the counselling process will hamper the course of action for both scholarship providers and recipients.
Implementation of OBC and EWS Reservation in All India Quota Scheme
Some important points highlighted in the letter to the Principal Secretaries and Addl. Chief Secretary’s (Health/Medical Education) of all states and union territories by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, dated 30th July 2021 –
- Seat Allocation as per AIQ Scheme – As per AIQ norms, 15% of the total available seats are reserved for UG level and 50% and are saved for PG students in government medical colleges. These seats are filled on all India basis from NEET’s merit list. The rest of the seats are filled on the state level (UG – 85%; PG – 50%).
- SC, ST Reservation in AIQ – Initially, there was no reservation for SC and ST category students in AIQ Scheme. However, under the Central Educational lnstitutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, SC and ST reservation was included in the All India Quota (AIQ) scheme. The reservation percentage was fixed at 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST students.
- Inclusion of OBC Reservation in AIQ – On 21st October 2020, the Ministry decided to include 27% reservation of OBC students from AY 2021-22 for UG and PG medical and dental courses (MBBS/MD/Diploma/MS/BDS/MDS).
- 10% Reservation to EWS – As per the 103 Amendment Act, 2019, 10% of the total seats in each of the EWS categories was reserved in AIQ from the academic session 2021-22.
Delay of NEET-UG AIQ Counselling – Students’ Uproar on Twitter
With so much happening around NEET UG counselling, students have no clue when the AIQ counselling dates will be released. Numerous medical aspirants have shared their worries on Twitter. One of the aspirants said:
Dear mcc it’s already been 3 months since our neet UG results were announced
We are under huge pressure over the uncertainty of councelling dates please atleast give us probable dates so that we can think about our future actions#NEETUG2021counselling #MCC— Pratham (@Pratham99926828) December 13, 2021
Not just students, parents of many aspirants have also shared their apprehension regarding the delayed counselling process.
Start neet UG counseling we as parents and our kids are totally under stress #neet2021
— Neelam (@Nrelam3) December 15, 2021
As only 15% of seats are reserved for AIQ, medical aspirants will have to apply online at www.mcc.nic.in for admission to AYUSH courses – Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS), Bachelor in Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS), aspirants have to visit at https://aaccc.gov.in/.
