In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has taken notice of a plea challenging the eligibility criteria for state quota seats of NEET (UG) in medical colleges affiliated with Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). The court has sought responses from the Delhi Government, Directorate General of Health Services, GGSIPU, and Delhi University, with the matter scheduled for the next hearing on August 7.
The plea was filed by Reet Singla, a NEET aspirant, who is represented by Senior Advocate Arvind Nayar and Advocates Ayush Beotra, Akshay Joshi, and Shubham Pandey. Singla argues that the authorities have acted arbitrarily by not including residence as one of the mandatory eligibility criteria for claiming state quota seats. The current criteria only require candidates to have passed classes 11th and 12th from a school affiliated with a recognized board in Delhi.
Singla's petition highlights the misuse of these eligibility criteria by certain schools in Delhi. These schools allegedly provide a "dummy schooling" platform to students from outside Delhi who migrate to the city after their class 10th exams, solely for the purpose of availing the benefits of Delhi state quota seats. The petitioner claims that this practice has become an illegal means for students to fulfil the NEET (UG) eligibility criteria without any genuine difficulty or controversy, while also being eligible for the Delhi State Quota Seats.
The plea further challenges a notification issued by GGSIPU on June 28, which called for the submission of documents from eligible candidates for Delhi state quota seats. Singla seeks to include residence as a mandatory eligibility condition for aspirants claiming the state quota.
In a separate but related plea, the Delhi High Court has also sought responses from the Delhi Government, GGSIPU, and Delhi University regarding the eligibility criteria for NEET (UG) aspirants to claim Delhi state quota seats in medical colleges affiliated with the two universities. The court directed the concerned authorities to file their replies within two weeks.
The petitioner in this case questions the exclusion of residential proof as a mandatory eligibility criterion for claiming Delhi state quota seats. The eligibility criteria currently require candidates to have passed class XI and XII exams from a school affiliated with a recognized board in Delhi. The plea argues that this arbitrary requirement has resulted in the illegal practice of "dummy schooling" by certain Delhi schools, which offer a platform for students from outside Delhi, primarily from neighbouring states, to fraudulently access Delhi state quota seats that should be allocated to genuine residents of Delhi.
In addition to including residence as a mandatory eligibility criterion, the petition also seeks a direction to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to identify and take appropriate action against schools in the city that engage in the practice of "dummy schooling" for students in classes XI and XII.
The outcome of these pleas will have significant implications for NEET (UG) aspirants seeking state quota seats in medical colleges affiliated with Delhi University and GGSIPU. The Delhi High Court's review of the eligibility criteria aims to ensure fairness and prevent the misuse of seats designated for genuine residents of Delhi.
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