The Hindu : National : "Violation of time schedule punishable"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 13, 2005

National

National

"Violation of time schedule punishable"

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, JAN. 12 . To streamline medical admissions in the country, the Supreme Court today directed all the States and Union Territories to declare the 10+2 examination results by June 10 every year so that enough time in available to complete the entrance examinations for the professional courses.

A three-Judge Bench, comprising Justice Y. K. Sabharwal, Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari and Justice Tarun Chatterjee, directed the Central Board of Secondary Education and the State Education Boards to supply the marksheets to students by June 15. The Bench formulated a 15-point guideline to be scrupulously followed by the States for admissions to medical and other professional courses.

The States were directed to complete the first round of State-level counselling for Government medical colleges by July 25 every year. The correct vacancy position should be intimated by the Chief Secretaries to the Directorate-General of Health Services (DGHS) for the 15 per cent all-India quota seats by July 26 so that it could start its second round of counselling. All admissions for whatever reasons should be completed before October 31.

Management quota

If any private medical college in a given academic year for any reason admitted students in the management quota in excess of the prescribed limits, then such management seats for the next academic year would be reduced by the number of excess admissions made earlier.

The Bench was passing orders on petitions filed by Mridul Dhar and other students, who had brought to the Court's notice the delay in conducting counselling by several State Governments resulting in 15 per cent of all- India quota seats lapsing to the States' quota.

No grabbing

The court made it clear that under no circumstances could the all-India 15 per cent quota seats be grabbed by the States for admitting their students.

For granting admission, the merit determined by competitive examination alone should be taken into consideration and not the interview or any other mode. All concerned should adhere to the time schedule for the establishment of new college or to increase the intake in existing college strictly.

The Bench warned the Chief Secretaries and the Health Secretaries that any violation of the time schedule for admission to professional courses would attract penal measures.

It also sought an affidavit from the DGHS by January 31 directing it to respond to the suggestions to conduct counselling for admission to the all-India quota seats through video-conferencing to save candidates from far-flung areas to come to Delhi for this purpose and also for increasing the percentage of seats for all-India quota from the existing 15 to 20 per cent.

Regarding admissions to post-graduate medical courses also, the Bench asked the States to adhere to the timetable.

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