WB to move SC over NRI students

The West Bengal Govt would appeal to larger bench of apex court to restore the "right of education" of 69 NRI students.

The West Bengal Government on Tuesday submitted before the state Human Rights Commission that it would appeal to the larger bench of Supreme Court to restore the "right of education" of 69 NRI students, whose admission to two state-run medical colleges has been scrapped by the apex court.

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Deposing before the Commission, Director of Medical Education (DME) C R Maity and deputy DME Santanu Banerjee said the appeal would be made in the first week of January when the case comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court.

"We had been summoned by the Commission today and we have explained the state government's stand on the issue. However, since the matter is sub-judice, I can not comment any further," Maity told awaiting mediapersons.

The hearing was conducted by Commission chairperson Justice Shaymal Sen and member Amit Sen.

Briefing scribes after the 40-minute meeting, Justice Shyamal Sen said the Commission had wanted to know from the state government what it was doing to ascertain that the right of education of the NRI students was not hampered.

"The DME has told the Commission that the state government was exploring alternative ways to provide them education in the same stream through some other means. The state government would also appeal the same before the Supreme Court," he said.

The Commission also met a seven-member representative team of the NRI students, which said it would appeal before the same bench of Supreme Court to plead for their right of education.