Date:02/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/02/stories/2006090225120400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court directs medical college to admit students

Staff Reporter

They were selected by the CET Cell for the first year medical course

The court was moved when the college remained firm in its decision

The matter was initially referred to the regulatory committee

BANGALORE: Sending out a clear message to private educational institutions that it would not tolerate any infringement of the rules, the Karnataka High Court on Friday directed a medical college in Bangalore to admit students selected by the Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell for the first year medical course.

The course commenced on September 1, and Madhu Shalini S.V. and three other students approached the court as they were refused admission by the Vaidehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore.

The students said they had passed the second year pre-university examination in 2006 and that they were selected to study in the college during the casual round vacancy on August 17 and August 18 that was held on the CET Cell premises in Bangalore.

The CET Cell, they said, issued admission orders to Vaidehi college after they paid the course fees. The cell asked them to proceed to the college and join the first year MBBS course commencing from September 1.

The students said when they went with the admission order and they were made to wait the whole day in the college. They were then sent back, saying that they could not be admitted. The students went back to the CET Cell, which contacted the college and then referred the matter to the one-man regulatory committee headed by the former Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor N.R. Shetty.

The committee, on August 29, issued a letter to the college asking it to admit the students. It said their admission was as per the consensual agreement reached between the Government and association of private professional colleges under which the Government could fill 40 per cent of the seats and the institutions 60 per cent.

When the college refused to relent, the students moved the High Court seeking a direction to the college to admit them. They also sought a direction to the college to follow the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission in Educational Institutions, Rules, 2006, which governed the admission of students in private professional colleges.

Interim order

Justice B.S. Patil, in his interim order, directed the college to admit the students and ordered issue of notices to the State Government, the CET Cell, the one-man committee and the college.

He adjourned further hearing on the case.