The Hindu : Medical quota in Maharashtra: SC clears allotment of seats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003

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Medical quota in Maharashtra: SC clears allotment of seats

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI June 23. The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to go ahead with allotment of seats in the colleges in Maharashtra under the 15 per cent all-India quota for the MBBS and the BDS courses for the academic year 2003-2004.

A vacation Bench comprising, Justice R.C. Lahoti and Justice Brijesh Kumar, told counsel for the Central Government Health Services that counselling of candidates for seats in the MBBS and BDS courses under the 15 per cent all India quota could go on in Government colleges in all the States, including Maharashtra.

The Bench issued notice to the Maharashtra Government on an application by the Centre and directed that the matter be listed in the first week of July.

In its petition, the Centre said the Maharashtra Government on April 30 declared its intention to withdraw from the all-India quota.

However, the Centre wrote to the State that it could do so only under the orders of the court.

But the State sent a communication that since the Maharashtra legislation had come into effect on April 12, no student from other States would be nominated in the Government medical and dental colleges in the State under the all-India quota.

The Centre said that even if one admission under the all-India quota was required to be changed, it would have an inevitable chain reaction and was bound to cause harassment and difficulties to a large number of meritorious students.

On behalf of the Maharashtra Government it was submitted that after the apex court ruling on private unaided colleges, there had been a severe shortage of seats for students from the State in medical colleges.

This was why the State thought it fit to withdraw its contribution to the all-India quota.

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