HC favours relook into MBBS seat quota for govt nominees

Updated on: Monday, January 09, 2012

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to re-examine its policy of reserving seats in medical colleges for candidates sponsored by it.

The court suggested that the basis of admission should be merit and performance in entrance tests.

"We can only say that the Central government should re-examine the matter," observed a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Siddharth Mridul, while hearing a plea by three Delhi girl students, denied admission in either of Delhi medical colleges despite having cleared the Delhi University Medical-Dental Entrance Test 2011.

"Examples are galore that even when general category candidates perform so well, they miss out and are not able to get admission because of the reservations. It is expected that these aspects would be looked into by the respondents (government) and a decision taken thereon within three months," the court said.

While adjudicating the girls' pleas, the bench said the September 30, 2011 deadline for taking admission in medical colleges has already expired, but the problem is bound to crop up again in 2012 and the government need to tackle the issue.

The three girls had questioned the reservation of seats for the government nominees in various medical colleges and the manner in which they were admitted in various Delhi medical colleges.

In their pleas through counsel Aman Hingorani, they pointed out, "There are a total of 234 general category MBBS seats in Delhi University. However, out of these, 30 are earmarked for quota meant for central government nominee in the Lady Harding Medical College."

They added the selection of the candidates for admission to the MBBS course must be based only on merit and it cannot be left to the "whims and fancies" the government in choosing their nominees for their admission to MBBS courses.

The court favoured a re-look into the government policy of reserving seats for their nominees in various medical colleges, saying even the apex court judgement, upholding the government's right to reserve seats for its nominees are more than 40 years old.

The government's argument that many states and Union territories do not have medical institutions of their own, particularly in north-eastern states too did not seem to cut ice with the court, which pointed out that in new economic scenario, several private and state-funded medical collages have come up in various states, including those in northeastern region.

"This may all justify giving a re-look by the government at the extent of nomination seats that need to be reserved for being filled up by its nominees," the court said.

HC favours relook into MBBS seat quota for govt nominees

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