The Supreme Court on Monday requested responses from the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government in response to a petition contesting the state government’s decision to give 50% of super-specialty seats at government medical institutions to state-employed physicians.
A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai issued notices to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Tamil Nadu government, and others on a plea filed by some who participated in the NEET-SS-2021 exams.
“Issue notice returnable on February 25, 2022. Counsel for the respondents are permitted to file a reply, in the meanwhile,” the bench said.
Tamil Nadu had issued a government order dated November 7, 2020, which allocated 50 per cent of seats in super-speciality courses in favour of in-service doctors of Tamil Nadu.
Petitioners’ senior advocate, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, argued that the petitioners took the exam based on the NEET-SS-2021 Information Bulletin, which stated categorically that there would be no reservation of seats for super-speciality courses.
The Tamil Nadu government was represented by Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari.
