NEET: Centre gets relief on EWS quota in SC hearing

However, Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna said that the observations were not dismissed for the lack of merit but set aside as they should not have been made while hearing a contempt petition filed by DMK, according to an NDTV report.

The top court stressed that the case over the reservation policy was still pending before it and it was not giving an opinion on it at the moment.

The Madras High Court had made the observation that the 10 per cent reservation provided to Economically Weaker Sections or EWS could be permitted only subject to the Supreme Court's approval.

The lower court had upheld the validity of Centre's notification dated July 29, 2021, of implementing 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes and 10 per cent reservation to EWS in All India Quota seats of medical colleges.

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK had filed a petition against the Centre over the deal in implementing the case reservation for the academic year 2021-22 though the High Court's ruling had directed the Centre to do so.

The All India Quota, under which the Centre has made the reservations, is applicable to 15 per cent of the total available undergraduate seats and 50 per cent of total available post-graduate seats in government medical colleges across India.