On Friday, the Supreme Court denied a petition seeking directions to reduce the minimum marks required for admission to NEET-PG 2021 across categories beyond the reduction already announced by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) on March 12, 2022.
The Government of India had already used its discretion and reduced the percentile as notified on 12.03.2022, according to a Bench consisting of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai. The Bench decided to dismiss the petition because the petitioner could not seek a reduction in the minimum qualifying percentile as a matter of right.
The Union Government reduced the minimum qualifying percentile for the General Category from 50th percentile to 35th percentile, for SC/ST/OBC from 40th percentile to 25th percentile, and for UR-PWD from 45th percentile to 30th percentile through the above mentioned notification.
Mr. Nayyar pointed out that on the date of filling of this petition, there were around 6000 vacancies.
The petitioners argued that the fixation of reduced cut off marks across categories should have been more to accommodate the mitigating and extenuating circumstances that were unique to the candidates who appeared in NEET-PG 2021, based on the reduction of the minimum qualifying percentile for the General category from 50th percentile to 30th percentile via notification dated 14.07.2020.
It was argued that the Central Government's decision to lower minimum marks in accordance with the proviso to Regulation 9(3) of the PGME Regulations must be rationally related to the total number of seats that are anticipated to remain vacant.
On Friday, the Supreme Court denied a petition seeking directions to reduce the minimum marks required for admission to NEET-PG 2021 across categories beyond the reduction already announced by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) on March 12, 2022.
The Government of India had already used its discretion and reduced the percentile as notified on 12.03.2022, according to a Bench consisting of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai. The Bench decided to dismiss the petition because the petitioner could not seek a reduction in the minimum qualifying percentile as a matter of right.
The Union Government reduced the minimum qualifying percentile for the General Category from 50th percentile to 35th percentile, for SC/ST/OBC from 40th percentile to 25th percentile, and for UR-PWD from 45th percentile to 30th percentile through the above mentioned notification.
Mr. Nayyar pointed out that on the date of filling of this petition, there were around 6000 vacancies.
The petitioners argued that the fixation of reduced cut off marks across categories should have been more to accommodate the mitigating and extenuating circumstances that were unique to the candidates who appeared in NEET-PG 2021, based on the reduction of the minimum qualifying percentile for the General category from 50th percentile to 30th percentile via notification dated 14.07.2020.
It was argued that the Central Government's decision to lower minimum marks in accordance with the proviso to Regulation 9(3) of the PGME Regulations must be rationally related to the total number of seats that are anticipated to remain vacant.
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