New Delhi, August 25
The Supreme Court today expressed concern over the “total chaos” witnessed in the admission to medical colleges this year across the country and indicated that it would lay down stringent guidelines for institutions regarding the admission schedule.
“The total chaos which was witnessed this year should not be repeated. We would lay down stringent conditions — monetary or otherwise — for the institutions to stick to the time-schedule for admission and commencement of the academic session in time,” a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice D.M. Dharamdhikari observed while hearing a batch of petitions on the issue.
A number of students had moved the court alleging that the government medical colleges in the states had been deliberately delaying the counselling for admissions to the 15 per cent Central quota in a bid to frustrate the chances of students of this category and
accommodate their own candidates against it.
The court made it clear to the medical colleges run by the states that its order of August 9 extending the date of counselling till August 20, should not be taken by them as extension of time schedule as the extension was given by taking into account the spate of petitions by students.
Otherwise, the medical colleges were bound to strictly follow the admission time-frame as stipulated in the Establishment of Medical
College Regulation, 1999, and the Medical Education (Amendment) Regulation, 2004, it said.
“Untill and unless the medical colleges stick to these regulations, the chaos would continue,” the court observed.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the aggrieved students, said though the government medical colleges in the states had increased the intake of students over the years but they had not raised the intake against 15 per cent
Central quota in that proportion.
This had resulted in the states taking away illegally the Central quota seats to
accommodate their own students against them, he said.
The court posted further hearing in the matter till August 31 with the direction that up to date facts be placed before it.
