HYDERABAD: In a significant development, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday stayed the counselling of NEET for admission into super speciality courses in medicine i.e. DM/MCh courses in the colleges affiliated to Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences in Telangana and NTR University of Health Sciences in AP.The bench of Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice T Rajani was passing these interim orders in a writ petition filed by Dr B Satish Kumar and 12 other aspirants challenging a letter issued by the Centre directing both the varsities to conduct a common counselling for all the seats of NEET-Super Speciality-2017 at the national level.
Senior counsel S Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioners, contended that admission to professional courses in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are governed by the Presidential Order issued in exercise of the power conferred under Article 371-D of the Constitution. Since these Presidential Orders have effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other part of the Constitution, the respondents are not entitled to conduct a common counselling at the national level, for the seats coming within the control of these two universities.
The Presidential Order, Article 371-D and 1979 circular specifies that 85 per cent of non-state-wide seats shall be reserved in favour of local candidates and the remaining 15 pc seats are to be treated as unreserved seats for the non-state candidates who have qualified in the entrance test.
The bench took note of the fact that the challenge to the reservation created in terms of Article 371-D was rejected by the Supreme Court. The bench stayed the national level admission process for the above seats in these two universities and directed the Centre to file its counter. The bench posted the case to August 24 for further hearing.