SC seeks reply from centre over vacant PG medical seats

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to give a written response to a plea by a group of deemed universities for extension of counseling date to fill seats, which remained vacant in Post Graduate medical courses, as the Union government maintained that there was no amicable solution to the issue.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant asked the Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, appearing for the Directorate General of Health Services of the central government to file an affidavit by Thursday.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Education Promotion Society of India, a registered group of 1354 educational institutions, asked, “We need doctors, the government, as well as private seats, are available why is the government not coming forward to fill up those seats.”

He said in previous years, the government itself has come forward to fill up the vacant seats beyond May 31 deadline set up by the apex court. He said more than 350 seats were available in private colleges and deemed universities across the country.

He said the admissions on the basis of NEET-PG results can be undertaken on those seats. A mop-up round for stray vacancy was held last time too, Singh pointed out.

Banerjee, for his part, submitted that as per the previous order of the apex court, an amicable solution to the issue could not be found. He said that the government would file an affidavit as there were certain issues involved in the matter.

Among the institutions, the petitioner pointed out 11 % seats in Kaher's J N Medical College Belagavi and 28% in K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore were available for filling up.