Explainer: Why are the resident doctors protesting over delay in NEET-PG counselling?

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Resident doctors are protesting in Delhi over the delay in NEET-PG counselling that has got delayed this year. They boycotted work in several medical colleges and approached the health ministry demanding that the stalled process need to start quickly.

On December 20, the doctors intensified the ongoing protest, which has impacted patient care in some of the hospitals in Delhi for the fourth day. Here are the reasons why the protest started and how the delay in NEET-PG counselling is impacting the resident doctors and the healthcare services.

How is it impacting the doctors as well as the availability of junior doctors?

Resident doctors are arguing that generally, there are three batches of junior residents supporting the seniors and taking care of the bulk of the workload in hospitals and medical colleges.

But because of the delay and postponement of NEET-PG counselling this year, only two batches are working. It means, medical seats for an entire batch are vacant and there is also a shortage of hands in the hospitals. They also argue that from January, senior post-graduate students in medical colleges will give exams and are preparing for that. It means the junior doctors’ availability will go down further leading to a massive workload.

Since the admission to UG (MBBS) and PG degrees hangs fire in the legal deadlock, MBBS aspirants as well as resident doctors seeking admission to PG degree courses are facing uncertainty.

The protesting doctors argue that the postponement of NEET-PG counselling has resulted in zero admission of fresh postgraduate doctors. This means the underutilisation of scanty but precious medical seats available, and has also overburdened junior residents working in various hospital departments.

Why is the delay in NEET-PG counselling?

Like NEET, NEET-PG counselling has got postponed and most recently due to an ongoing case related to EWS (economically weaker section) reservation in medical colleges and the legal hassle arising out of it. In the last week of November, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, who represented the government with Additional Solicitor-General KM Nataraj, had said in the Supreme Court that the government has decided to revisit the criteria for determining the economically weaker sections in terms of the provisions of the Explanation to Article 15 of the Constitution inserted by the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019.

“The solicitor-general states that a period of four weeks would be required for this exercise and pending its conclusion, the date for counselling shall stand postponed in view of the assurance which was tendered at an earlier stage of these proceedings. In view of the above position, the hearing of the proceedings shall be listed on January 6, 2022,” the SC order has underlined in November.

What’s the stand of the Union health ministry?

The Union health ministry has urged the protesting doctors to call off their strike and resume work. They have apparently met a few of the doctors’ representatives.

"A group of doctors met the health minister, who asked us to withdraw the strike saying all efforts are being made to expedite the matter. However, such verbal assurances have been made before and we will continue our protest outside Nirman Bhawan,” said Sunil Duchania, the president of Resident Doctors’ Association at Lady Hardinge Medical College.

Resident doctors at RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospitals, and hospitals under the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) including LNJP Hospital, had resumed the stir on December 17, accusing the government of making a false promise, according to a report by news agency Press Trust of India.

What’s the relation between NEET and EWS reservation case?

The Supreme Court of India is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government and a medical counselling committee notice issued in July, providing a 10 percent quota for the EWS category in NEET admissions. According to the legislation ratified by Parliament in January 2019, a general category student or candidate whose family income is less than Rs 8 Lakh per year is eligible for the EWS reservation.

The petitions argued several issues like breach of the 50 percent quota threshold directed by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, lack of study and justification on the EWS reservation criteria, and the government decision on EWS reservation in admission through NEET.