Jat docs seeking MD admission move SC

R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, March 26

Jat doctors seeking admission to the MD course approached the Supreme Court today, pleading for clarification on the applicability of the SC ruling against Jat quota to the 2015-16 academic session. Last week, the SC had held that Jats were not backward — politically, educationally or socially — and as such were not entitled to reservation under the category of other backward classes (OBC).

Appearing for the affected Jat doctors before a Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan said his clients had applied for the MD course under the OBC quota. They had already been ranked under the OBC category and stood a good chance of getting admission.

However, the March 17 judgment of the SC was now coming in the way of their admission under the OBC quota. Since they were sure of getting through on the basis of their rankings, they had given up their other options and were now left high and dry in the wake of the apex court verdict, he said.

Bhushan sought an urgent hearing of his clients’ plea for a clarification as to whether the SC verdict would be applicable to the admission process for the current academic session which had been initiated before the court ruling, or would have only prospective effect, meant for admissions from next year.

Chief Justice Dattu said the plea would be listed for hearing tomorrow or next week, subject to the availability of one of the judges who had delivered the verdict quashing the Centre’s March 4, 2014 notification putting Jats on the central list of OBCs meant for nine states — Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (Bharatpur and Dholpur districts). The judge was unwell, the CJI said.

More and more affected students are likely to approach the SC, pleading that the court ruling should not be applicable to the current admissions to various courses in colleges, including engineering and other disciplines. The no-quota-for-Jats verdict was delivered last week by a Bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman.