No preferential quota for super-specialty med courses

There will be no preferential quota for resident candidates for super-specialty medical courses during 2010–11 academic sessions.

There will be no preferential quota for resident candidates for super-specialty medical courses during 2010–11 academic sessions.

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Additional government pleader, Geeta Shastri, on Wednesday, told Bombay High Court that the medical education department has decided not to implement the decision to give priority to Maharashtra resident candidates in admissions to such courses.

The medical education department introduced the new rule this year for 84 seats of super-specialty medical courses.

Some aspirants from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir had moved the high court challenging the decision.

They contended the rule was contrary to a Supreme Court decision, which specifically bars any reservation in admission for super-specialty medical courses.

The state government had maintained there was no reservation intended under the new rule.

But the judges disagreed, following which Advocate General Ravi Kadam had offered to cut down the preferential quota to 50 per cent seats.

Kadam had also pointed out that even though the state government spends approximately Rs 25 lakh every student annually, but most of them leave for their respective states after completing the super-specialty courses.

However, the argument failed to impress the judges, who stayed the application of the rule on June 22, a day ahead of common entrance test for the super-specialty courses.