Delhi HC allows candidate to participate in 2nd, subsequent rounds of NEET-PG 2020 counselling

New Delhi [India], May 1 : Delhi High Court has directed authorities concerned to allow a candidate to participate in the second round and other subsequent rounds, if any, of all-India counselling for NEET-PG 2020 as per his eligibility.
However, Justice Rekha Palli did not allow candidate Abhishek V to get accommodated in the first round of counselling of NEET-PG 20 observing that he has approached this court after the expiry of an entire fortnight from the date of the first round of counselling.
"Keeping in view the amount of preparation and hard work which goes into qualifying for examinations of such nature, the respondent's willingness to accommodate the petitioner in this regard and the sheer effort invested by the petitioner in securing a meritorious position on an all-India basis, the interest of justice requires the petitioner to be permitted to participate in the 2nd round and other subsequent rounds," the court in its order on Thursday.
The court directed that the petitioner be allowed to participate in any future rounds of counselling organised by the respondents for NEET-PG 2020, notwithstanding his non-participation in the first round.
"It is also directed that his nonparticipation in the first round of counselling shall not be held as a ground to prejudice his chances to secure admission to a college of his preference, in these subsequent rounds," the court said.
"It is further directed that the petitioner will also be entitled to participate in any state counselling, as per his eligibility conditions and domicile," it added.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Abhishek V, a participant in the National Entrance Eligibility Test 2020 for admissions to post-graduate medical courses (NEET-PG 2020), who sought directions to the Medical Counselling Committee to permit him to submit his medical college preferences within the first round of counselling of NEET-PG 2020.
Abhishek, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, had appeared in the NEET-PG 2020 on January 5 and the results were declared on January 30. The petitioner claimed that he had registered on the concerned website on March 10 for the first round of all-India counselling but the results of the first round declared by NEET on April 9 did not include his name.
Subsequently, he received an e-mail on April 11 about the refund of the amount.
Additional solicitor general advocate Maninder Acharya, appearing for the Central government, told the court that all-India counselling has already concluded on April 11 and that the petitioner is at fault for approaching the court after a substantial delay.
She submitted that granting any relief to the petitioner as prayed for would cause grave prejudice to the other candidates, however, assured the court that the respondent has no objection to the petitioner participating in the second or any other subsequent rounds based on eligibility.