The Bombay high court refused to consider any petition by deemed institutes for 2016 and instead chose to bring better clarity for the next academic year.(For representation)
A petition was filed by a group of Maharashtra-based deemed medical institutes in 2016, seeking the right to conduct their own rounds of counselling and admissions. The high court will hear the petition on Tuesday.
A notification dated March 10 makes it mandatory to have common counselling, with no exemption to any institute — government-run, private or deemed. It states that the amendments have been introduced to the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 and Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.
Counselling will continue to be conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for all-India quota seats, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
“Since the inception of our dental institute, not once has a single seat gone vacant. However last year, after the state took control of admitting students to all deemed institutes, almost 80% seats were left vacant. We refuse to give the state power to admit students again this year,” said a spokesperson for a Maharashtra-based dental institute on condition of anonymity.
He added that while the latest circular by the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) is worrying, they are hoping to retain their deemed status with the judiciary’s help. “We will go to any extent. If need be, to fight for our rights,” he added.
After a series of petitions filed by parents and medical institutes across the country, the Supreme Court in September 2016 regularised all admissions already done by the deemed institutes and allowed the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) in Maharashtra to fill up the remaining 350-odd seats through a common admission process.
The Bombay high court refused to consider any petition by deemed institutes for 2016 and instead chose to bring better clarity for the next academic year.
State government officials are positive that their case against the deemed institutes stands stronger with the latest notification.
“Last year, the Supreme Court had overruled Bombay high court’s decision to allow deemed institutes to conduct their own rounds of admissions. And this year, with the latest notification also in our favour, I don’t think the high court will go against the central government’s decision,” said Dr Pravin Shingare, director of DMER.
[“source-hindustantimes”]
