SC seeks response from Centre, states on AIPGMEE counselling

Supreme court today sought response from the Centre and various states on a plea seeking more rounds of extended counselling for the vacant seats in All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE).
A vacation bench of Justices A K Sikri and U U Lalit issued the notices to Centre, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Medical Council of India and 20 states, arrayed as respondents, in a plea filed by 26 doctors.
The bench, after issuing the notices, posted the matter for further hearing on June 3.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Salman Khurshid and advocate Prashant Dahat, also sought direction to the Centre and states to report the vacant all-India quota seats as on May 30 to avoid transfer of vacant seats of all- India quota to state quota.

He also sought directions to conduct extended round of all-India counselling, once states report the vacant seats and after the second round of state counselling.
The plea filed by the qualified doctors, who have secured ranks in All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination for academic session 2015-16, said a direction should also be issued to ensure that full effect is given to the All India Quota for All India Post Graduate Medical and Dental Seats.

They claimed that in the current academic year a large number of states including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh have defaulted and have not abided by the counselling time schedule.

It also said the states have not completed their first round of counselling in time to report the correct number of vacant seats to Centre and Health Ministry.
"However, it will be unreasonable as All India Quota seats will be wasted...Due to states not following schedule fixed by the apex court," the petition said.