Updated on: Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice on a writ petition by a medical college established by the Puducherry Government seeking to quash a communication of the Board of Governors rejecting the request for approval for the institution. Justice V.Dhanapalan ordered the notice returnable in a week.
In its petition, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (Government of Puducherry Institute), Kathirkamam, Puducherry, run by Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Medical College Society, said the Medical Council of India inspected the college on May 10 and 11 this year.
On May 15, the MCI was dissolved and it was substituted by a Board of Governors. The next inspection was on June 21 and 22. The petitioner received a communication dated July 15 rejecting approval.
The petitioner said the Board of Governors had disapproved the scheme for reasons including inadequate infrastructural facilities and clinical material. The discrepancies pointed out were incorrect and suffered from non-application of mind, the petitioner alleged.
The petitioner said there was no government medical college in Puducherry which would serve the poor students. The territorial government had established the college spending a huge amount and recruiting faculty from all over the country.
The impugned communication had given "minor and frivolous reasons." In a number of similar cases, more serious deficiencies had been overlooked. A government college had its own obligation to provide quality medical education to the poor and downtrodden at an affordable cost, but the medical council had adopted a "discriminatory" attitude.
The discrepancies were very minor in nature and could be rectified before the commencement of the course, the petitioner contended.