New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS): The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-Post graduation (PG) counselling 2021 will start from January 12, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday.

"The NEET-PG counselling is being started by Medical Counselling Committee from January 12, 2022, following the Supreme Court order as assured by the Union Health Ministry to the resident doctors," Mandaviya said in a tweet.

He gave best wishes to all students appearing in the NEET exam counselling, adding that it will strengthen India's fight against Covid-19 infection.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), which led the nationwide agitation against delay in the counselling thanked the Union Minister for declaring the counselling date.

Talking to IANS, Manish Nigam, FORDA President, said, "We all welcome this step to begin counselling from January 12."

"We are hopeful that we will have new batch of resident doctors from January 20 to 25. As more than hundreds of doctors have tested positive for Covid-19 in last one week in Delhi's several hospitals and we are facing staff crisis, it will help us fight the Covid infection more efficiently," he added.

Ending the agitation over the delay in NEET-PG counselling, the Supreme Court in an interim order on Friday directed that counselling may proceed on the basis of the July 29, 2021, government notification by which 10 per cent seats were reserved for economically weaker section (EWS) and 27 per cent for Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna also accepted the recommendation to continue the prescribed Rs 8 lakh income limit for EWS quota for the current admission cycle.