What's all the hullabaloo over EWS quota in postgraduate medical course admissions?

Doctors have been protesting delays in admissions, with the Supreme Court set to hear the issue

The issue pertaining to the reservation of seats for the economically weaker section (EWS) has garnered widespread attention in the context of NEET-PG [National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate)] admissions.

Over the past week, doctors in Delhi had stopped treating patients, shut out-patient departments and took to the streets to protest the slow admission process, which has been held by petitions challenging the EWS quota reservation.

The Centre had issued a notification, on July 29, 2021, for implementing a 10 per cent reservation for EWS and 27 per cent for other backward classes (OBCs) in NEET-PG courses.

Also Read — NEET-PG admissions: SC to hear matter on EWS quota

However, the reservation notification was challenged by a group of petitioners led by Neil Aurelio Nunes in the top court, following which the Supreme Court had stayed counselling for admissions until the matter is decided.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it decided to accept the recommendation of a three-member panel to retain the current gross annual family income limit of Rs 8 lakh or less for EWS.

Also Read — NEET admissions: Centre to persist with Rs 8-lakh income criteria for EWS qualification

The move came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s observation that the income criterion for determining EWS was “arbitrary.”

The NEET notification followed the criteria for EWS as per a DoPT [Department of Personnel and Training] notification of January 31, 2019.

In an affidavit filed in a case pertaining to admissions for NEET-PG, the Centre said the panel has recommended that “only those families whose annual income is up to Rs 8 lakh would be eligible to get the benefit of EWS reservation”.

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