New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS): The Supreme Court has issued a notice on a plea seeking directions to the Centre to come forth and declare the total number of All India Quota (AIQ) seats under medical NEET-PG 2020 which have lapsed on account of non-joining of the selected/shortlisted candidates after the second round of counselling and publication of the final list dated July 2.

The plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed said due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the examination results for the admission session this year of AIIMS, JIPMER and PGI-Chandigarh were announced after completion of Round-2 of counselling of NEET-PG 2020 examination, which was completed on June 16.

"Therefore, candidates who had earlier enrolled themselves under the AIQ seats of NEET-PG 2020 examination, finding better opportunities in AIIMS, JIPMER or PGI-Chandigarh, have abandoned their AIQ seats under NEET-PG for the admission session 2020, and have opted to join AIIMS, JIPMER or PGI-Chandigarh", said the plea.

A bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna issued notice and listed the matter for further hearing on August 14.

The plea argued that it has been found that after the final list, there is a total of 3,373 AIQ seats which have been vacated after joining, under the NEET-PG 2020, and which are now being reverted to the respective state quota for counselling by the state government or the authority designated by the state government.

"Thus, because of the lapse of AIQ seats, candidates like the petitioners herein who were genuinely willing to avail the AIQ seats, are being deprived for the reason that the said vacant or lapsed AIQ seats are being passed on to the states and hence, they are unable to avail the same, despite the vacant AIQ seats", argued the plea.

The petitioner said this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown across the nation, the schedules of these PG exams have been altered causing the results of AIIMS, PGI-Chandigarh, and JIPMER-Pondicherry, to be announced after the counselling under the NEET-PG has been completed.

"Therefore, this has led to chaos among the candidates, who after realising that they have secured seats in AIIMS, PGI-Chandigarh, and JIPMER Pondicherry, have opted to leave their seats secured under the AIQ of the NEET-PG exams", said the plea. Therefore, many non-reporting/joining or vacant AIQ seats have been created which are now being transferred to state admission committees.