Delhi HC asks MCI to allow more admission in MBBS course

Updated on: Monday, October 03, 2011

The Delhi High Court has directed the Medical Council of India (MCI) to allow the private medical colleges to increase MBBS seats from 100 to 150.

Justice Kailash Gambhir, in a 110-page judgement, said "the respondent MCI is directed to grant increase in the additional intake of students from 100 to 150 to all these petitioner institutes subject to, however, these colleges fulfilling all other requirements and the criteria laid down in the regulations and there being no deficiencies existing for granting the said increased intake in the admission capacity from 100 to 150 students in the MBBS course."

The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Teerthankar Mahaveer Institute of Management, Rama Medical College Hospital and Research Centre and School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, challenging the MCI's May 6 order whereby it rejected the grant of additional intake in the MBBS course in these institutes and colleges.

"The increase in additional intake to these petitioners was not granted by the respondent MCI only because they were found ineligible to qualify to apply for such increase in their admission capacity," the court observed while rejecting the MCI's plea to refer back to it the plea of the medical colleges for consideration.

"The parties are well aware that September 30, 2011, is the dead line for admissions in the MBBS course and if these matters are remanded back to the respondent as per submission of the counsel for MCI, then these petitions will become infructuous despite the decision of this court in their favour," Justice Gambhir said.

The court said there were only 19 medical colleges in the country at the time of independence and today the number of colleges imparting MBBS education is almost 335. "It is indeed a significant rise which should be the sign of the progress and growth of a nation, especially like ours, with a burgeoning population. But whether the increased number means higher health care delivery system is still debatable as the number crunching has another story to tell," the court observed.

"With the government colleges' share being less and the private colleges shouldering more responsibility, there is still approximately only 1 medical college per 38.41 lakh people, dismal figures which reflect the acute crisis in the country," the court said.

Delhi HC asks MCI to allow more admission in MBBS course

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