Tamil Nadu   

Supreme Court declines to stay order on CET

J. Venkatesan

"We are not inclined to interfere with the High Court order" "We are not inclined to interfere with the High Court order"

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stay, at this stage, operation of the Madras High Court judgment upholding the abolition of the Common Entrance Test for admission to professional courses in Tamil Nadu.

During `mention' time, a Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice D.K. Jain posted the matter for hearing to May 17, without passing an interim order.

Senior counsel K.N.R. Pillai submitted that the matter was of great significance. The State had abolished CET, which was being held for the last 24 years. The admission process had been notified and the court should pass interim orders that it would be subject to the outcome of the special leave petition, he said, pleading for early listing.

The Bench said: "It is a policy decision. We are not inclined to interfere with the High Court order. Let the matter come up for hearing on May 17."

The Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006, which received the Presidential assent on March 3, envisages admission to all professional courses for 2007-08 on the basis of marks obtained by students in the higher secondary examination.

On April 27, the High Court dismissed a batch of petitions challenging this law. The special leave petition by Minor A.S. Prabhu is directed against this judgment.

The petition stated that the Supreme Court had decided that to ensure uniform standards in education, admission through the CET was the best method.

The Medical Council of India and the All India Council for Technical Education had approved it.

As per the notification, the distribution of application forms for admission will begin on May 16 and counselling, on July 9.

The petition said: "The notification reveals the unscientific manner in which admissions are sought to be made even on random allotment, which is unheard of in the counselling and admission parlance. Almost all the States in India make admissions to professional courses through the CET."

It sought quashing of the judgment, interim stay on its operation and a directive to authorities to begin the process of holding the CET.

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