E-Paper
Apex court to take call on central counselling session
NEW DELHI: After ruling in favour of a common all-India entrance examination for all undergraduate medical courses in colleges, including private ones, the Supreme
NEW DELHI: After ruling in favour of a common all-India entrance examination for all undergraduate medical courses in colleges, including private ones, the Supreme Court will now decide whether there should be a centralised counselling session within a state for students for allotment of institutions.
Two states – Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra – have moved the top court seeking a direction to private medical colleges to admit candidates attending state government counselling. Both have said that a centralised admission procedure will benefit students who will not have to attend multiple counselling sessions with often clashing dates.
A five-judge bench headed by Justice AR Dave will commence the hearing on Monday. The final outcome will have a bearing on admissions in other states too.
For the benefit of medical students who were forced to sit for multiple examinations to secure a medical college seat, the SC had on April 29 ordered holding of a single-window test – NEET – in two phases. However, a central government notification later exempted states from NEET.
Maharashtra told SC that on August 9 the Centre sent a communication to the principal secretaries of states and union territories, allowing them to carry out combined counselling for admissions in undergraduate medical courses.
Subsequently the state issued a resolution on August 20, which the Bombay High Court stayed after a deemed university challenged it. The state said the resolution aimed at bringing transparency. It submitted every deemed university charges Rs 5,000 each for counselling session.
There are eight in Maharashtra, meaning a student has to spend Rs 40,000. However, in case of a common counselling the medical aspirant has to pay just Rs 1,000.
