The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of timely adherence to admission schedules, ensuring merit-based filling of medical seats under the all-India quota.

1. Taken on board. Issue notice returnable within a week. Dasti service, in addition, is permitted.

2. In the meanwhile, the respondent States and Union Territories (Respondents 3 to 24) will not fill up the postgraduate medical seats belonging to the all - India quota.

3. List the matter after one week.
Before A. K. Patnaik; J. S. Khehar, JJ. (Order dated 26-7-2013)

4. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. We find that as many as 1651 seats of the all - India quota are still vacant for the postgraduate courses for the academic session 2013-2014.

5. Mr Sidharth Luthra, learned Additional Solicitor General referred to Para 16 of the affidavit filed on behalf of Respondents 1 and 2 to point out the difficulties that may be faced for filling up these 1651 seats through a fresh round of counselling.

6. We are not convinced with the difficulties pointed out by Mr Luthra. Mr Luthra will find out ways after consulting the authorities concerned as to how to fill up these 1651 seats from the candidates on the basis of merit from the all - India quota.

7. List this matter on Monday, 29-7-2013.
(Order dated 23-8-2013)

8. IA No. 4 of 2013 has been filed on behalf of the State of Maharashtra for a direction to fix the cut - off date to postgraduate courses i.e. MD / MS / Diploma as well as MDS course as 31-8-2013.

9. IA No. 5 has been filed on behalf of the State of Madhya Pradesh praying for permitting the fourth round of counselling for filling the all - India State seats for the academic session 2013-2014 and grant two months' time from 31-7-2013 for conduct of fourth round of counselling.

10. We are not inclined to allow IA No. 5 filed by the State of Madhya Pradesh for fourth round of counselling for the all - India quota seats. This is because by our order dated 1-8-2013, Fraz Naseem v. Union of India , 2014 (10) SCC 783 : 6 SCEC 787, we had directed that the fourth round of counselling for all - India quota seats for the postgraduate courses lying vacant in the all - India quota will be completed by 21-8-2013 and the date 21-8-2013 is already over.

11. The seats of the all - India quota, which remained unfilled, will now have to be filled up by the State Governments and the Union Territories concerned and for filling up these unfilled seats we grant time up to 31-8-2013 to all State Governments and the Governments of the Union Territories. Leftover seats of the State quota may also be filled by 31-8-2013. IA No. 4 of 2013 is, accordingly, allowed.

12. List the main matter on 10-9-2013.
(Order dated 29-8-2013)

13. Taken on board. Issue notice returnable by 4-9-2013. In the meanwhile, the seats remaining unfilled from out of the all - India quota in the MBBS courses in different States will not be filled up by the States.

14. Notice be served dasti on the Standing Counsel for the Union of India, Director General of Health Sciences, Standing Counsel for the Medical Council of India as well as the Standing Counsel for the State Governments.

15. List this matter along with WP (C) No. 716 of 2013 on 4-9-2013.
(Order dated 5-9-2013)

16. IA No. 6
This is an application filed by the State of Madhya Pradesh to grant extension till 30-9-2013 to fill the vacant seats of MD / MS and MDS seats under State quota for postgraduate courses in the private medical and dental colleges as well as seats remaining vacant in government colleges in the State of Madhya Pradesh.

17. This application has been filed presumably because in Fraz Naseem v. Union of India , 2014 (10) SCC 783 : 6 SCEC 787 this Bench had passed an order on 1-8-2013 directing that after the fourth round of counselling, the seats remaining vacant shall be deemed to have been surrendered back to the respective States as per Condition 12 of