The government told the Supreme Court that it would form a panel to review the criteria and it would take four weeks to complete the process
Representational image. PTI
The Union government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it will review the annual income criteria of Rs 8 lakh to provide reservation under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category for NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) admissions for post-graduate (PG) medical courses this year.
The Centre, being represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, informed the court that the Centre had decided to form a committee, which would decide the new criteria and that it would need four weeks to complete the process.
He said that the counselling for NEET-PG courses won’t take place until then.
Under the current definition, a candidate whose family income in less than Rs 8 lakh per annum falls within EWS quota.
The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) 29 July notice providing 10 percent for EWS category in the NEET admissions.
The court has given the Centre a month and the next hearing of the case will be held on 6 January.
When asked earlier by the apex court to explain how they had come to the Rs 8 lakh eligibility for the EWS category, the Centre had on 26 October clarified that the principle of fixing the amount is rational and in keeping with Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
With inputs from agencies
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