New Delhi/ Chennai: The Supreme Court has ordered that an additional counseling session be conducted and completed within 3 weeks to fill the vacant seats in super-specialty medical courses.
In Tamil Nadu, after the medical counseling was completed, the 153 vacant seats for super specialty medical courses were handed over to the All India Quota. Since 40 of those seats remained unfilled, a case was filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, seeking that the cutoff percentage be reduced and those seats be fully returned to Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had directed the Central government to take a decision on this matter.
At this stage, the case came up again for hearing before judges P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe. At that time, the Central government stated that, to fill vacant seats for super-specialty medical courses across India, it would reduce the qualifying cut-off percentage from 50 to 30.
Senior advocate P. Wilson appeared on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association. Following this, the judges issued the order: the 40 super-specialty medical seats must be immediately returned to Tamil Nadu. Based on the reduced new cut-off percentage, the additional counseling for super-specialty medical courses must be conducted and completed within 3 weeks.
Those who participated in the previous counseling and selected any one category are allowed, in this additional counseling, to participate and choose a different category for upgradation only in Tamil Nadu. The judges ordered accordingly.
