#NEET in Maharashtra: No merit list for now, Bombay HC to begin daily hearings

The litigation over the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) simply refuses to end. The Bombay High Court is now hearing multiple petitions challenging the Maharashtra government’s rules over domicile, and the right of private unaided medical colleges to conduct admissions..Today, Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and MS Sonak J directed the state government to prepare two merit lists; one would be an all-India merit list, and the other a merit list of students with Maharashtra state domicile. The final list would only be released to the public once this petition is decided..The lead petition has been filed by Mahatma Gandhi Vidya Mandir Trust, which runs a dental college at Nashik..Speaking to Bar & Bench, petitioner’s lawyer VM Thorat said,.We have made the following prayers in our petition:.(i) The state’s policy of admitting local students is not binding on private colleges hence they should be free to give admissions to students from outside the state on the basis of merit list under NEET. This prayer is common in all other petitions..(ii) There should not be any interference by the state in our (private colleges) right to admit under NRI quota and the quota should be in accordance with the merit list prepared by these private colleges and their associations, also the restriction of admitting Maharashtra students should not be there..(iii) NEET is held by the centre, the merit list is available to all private colleges or their associations. Further process of admitting the students should not be left to the state because it is not within their rights to do so, it is the college’s right to admit the students on the basis of NEET, therefore the CAP should not be conducted by the state..Former Advocate General for Maharashtra, Shreehari Aney appeared for the state, admitting that the state needs to define ‘domicile’ first..Chief Justice Chellur also enquired from Aney whether, theoretically, it was possible that the all-India merit list may not have any students from Maharashtra. To this, Aney,.“It is possible that there may not be a single student from the state on that list.”.Once Thorat began to argue on the reasoning behind such a quota for students with state domicile, the bench remarked:.“We do not intend to open the pandora’s box! We will hear your challenge to the said rule.”.Summarizing today’s developements Thorat said.“If the state government succeeds then the list comprising of Maharashtra students will be finalised. If we succeed the list made on all India basis will be finalised.”.The arguments will begin on a daily basis from tomorrow, with the state government expected to file a reply soon. The matter will be decided on or before September 30, the deadline set by the Supreme Court.