States can fill 85% seats through NEET-II, says Apex Court

May 4, 2016

New Delhi, May 4: The Supreme Court on Tuesday told states opposing the National Eligibilty-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) that they can still fill their share of 85% seats for MBBS and BDS courses through Phase II of the exam.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Anil R Dave, which began hearing applications, including one filed by Karnataka seeking permission to conduct their own test, asked the Centre, Medical Council of India and the CBSE to respond to their plea by Thursday.

“Filling up 85% seats is still reserved with you only. The students, who have not filled the form (for NEET Phase I on May 1) can still avail the opportunity for the next phase to be conducted on July 24,” the bench told Karnataka’s Advocate General Madhusudan Naik.

The All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Examination, hitherto conducted by the CBSE, was held to fill the all-India quota of 15% seats in colleges in states. The single test, now called NEET, is expected to save students from hassles of appearing in multiple examinations.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for Karnataka’ s Association of Private Medical Colleges, contended that there was statutory arrangement allowing the colleges to hold their own examination in English and vernacular language for which all arrangements had already been made. Venugopal cited the recent suicide by an IIT-JEE aspirant in Kota, saying that students, particularly from the rural background, were undergoing a lot of stress as time for preparing for a common entrance test was very short.

The bench, also comprising Justices Shiva Kirti Singh and Adarsh K Goel, said: “The students from rural background still can’t pass your test without coaching. Even the best students are found from the most backward regions.”

The court was also not apparently convinced with the plea for students who studied in vernacular medium facing difficulty, as it said the names of scientific terms are generally same in the regional languages.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat, claimed every scientific term in English had its distinct name in Gujarati.

Senior advocate L N Rao, appearing for Vellore-based Christian Medical College, said the state cannot take its right to conduct its own examination, started since 1993, for filling 85% seats from students of the minority community.

The court, however, told him those unsuccessful in the examination still had to appear for other tests. “You may have an excellent reputation, no doubt, but you cannot say that you would not get students of your choice from an all-India examination,” the bench said.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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