Kolkata, 19 August (H.S.): The West Bengal government’s decision to indefinitely suspend the NEET-UG medical and dental counseling and admission process has triggered sharp criticism from Union Minister of State for Education and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.
Taking to his official social media account on X Tuesday, Majumdar shared the state government’s notification and lashed out at the move. He wrote that under the pretext of issuing an “urgent notice,” the counseling and admission process had been halted without citing any valid reason. “The future of medical students in Bengal has been pushed into darkness,” he remarked.
Majumdar questioned why the process was stopped after it had already commenced. “Is this an attempt to grant undue advantage to a particular group under the guise of reservation?” he asked.
According to the notification issued by the state’s Director of Medical Education, “West Bengal NEET-UG Medical and Dental 2025 counseling/admission process stands suspended until further orders.” However, no explanation for the suspension was provided.
Sources suggest the decision stems from the ongoing controversy over OBC certificates, a matter currently under consideration in the Supreme Court. This dispute has already stalled the results of the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE).
Recently, Justice Kaushik Chanda of the Calcutta High Court annulled the published merit list and directed the state to prepare a fresh one within 15 days, based on the pre-2010 list of 66 OBC categories. The court also mandated that OBC students should continue to receive the seven percent reservation quota.
The state government challenged this order in the Supreme Court. On July 28, the apex court granted an interim stay on the High Court’s ruling. However, on August 11, due to lack of time, the matter was adjourned for a month, effectively keeping the High Court’s order in force.
As a result, both medical and engineering admission processes in West Bengal have been disrupted, leaving the future of lakhs of students hanging in uncertainty.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
