Cancel ‘illegal’ admissions of 22 nursing students: HC

The court directed the concerned colleges to return the fee that they have paid and also pay them a compensation of ₹1 lakh each for their loss of an academic year

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday cancelled the admission of 22 nursing students for illegally securing admission into courses of General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM), while directing the concerned colleges to return the fee that they have paid and also pay them a compensation of ₹1 lakh each for their loss of an academic year.

Mumbai, India - September 03, 2021: Bombay High Court at Fort, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 03, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

The issue came to light in March this year when the Maharashtra State Board of Nursing and Paramedical Education (MSBNPME) and the Director of Medical Education and Research found that over 90 students ‘illegally’ secured admissions in various colleges across Maharashtra into ANM and GNM courses. According to the Indian Nursing Council guidelines, students can be eligible for ANM and GNM programmes only if they have had vocational subjects such as ophthalmic techniques, medical laboratory technology, auxiliary nursing and midwifery, X-ray technology, or yoga anatomy and physiology in their Class 12, which the students did not possess.

Announcing that the respective colleges admitted the students illegally, MSBNPME cancelled the admission of the 90 students. 22 of these students approached the high court, seeking to allow them to attempt the examinations. For this, MSBNPME submitted to the court that these 22 students did not pursue the mandatory vocational subjects in their Class 12, highlighting that several of them had pursued entirely unrelated subjects such as computer technology and crop science. The board also informed the court that, following the notices to cancel their admissions, the 22 students had consented to cancel their admission and also approached the court to allow them to sit for the examinations at the same time.

On September 22, the court permitted the students to appear for the exams.

In the hearing on Thursday, the board argued that permitting such students to appear for exams would be a mockery of the admissions process, highlighting that even in the previous year, admission of 100 students for not possessing the requisite educational qualifications. It further said that if illegal admissions are allowed to continue, the functioning and credibility of nursing courses would be seriously jeopardized and those students who are eligible to be admitted would lose the legitimate opportunity of securing admission.

The court, while cancelling the admissions of the 22 students, directed the competent authority to initiate action against the respective college managements for illegally admitting students into courses, and also ordered scrutiny of all admissions in the last five years.

The court further directed the concerned colleges to return the fee paid by the students and also pay a compensation of ₹1 lakh each, within 45 days, to make up for their loss of an academic year.