A fine of Rs 1 crore, has been imposed on the Tamil Nadu Government, and the Medical Council of India (MCI) by the Madras High Court.

This stringent action was taken by the HC, for not following the laws related to seat sharing. The State Government was directed by the Court, yesterday, to allocate 50% of the Postgraduate medical seats, in respect of each specialization, from the non-Governmental medical institutions in the State. This exempts the minority institutions, as State quota and make admissions on the basis of National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) merit list, through Centralized counseling by the State.

Directing a batch of petitions from Dr. M. Hemalatha and 19 others, Justice N.Kirubakaran, Justice Kirubakaran stated that the State Government shall, by notification include 50% seats in Deemed Universities. Minority institutions, SRM Medical College and Saveetha Medical College shall be exempted in the counseling to be conducted for the Government seats on self-financing medical colleges. About 50% institution quota seats in Deemed Universities, in the counseling are to be conducted for management quota seats in self financing medical colleges. Petitions have been filed by SRM and Saveetha challenging common counseling and obtained interim protection for the admission of students already made.

The judge further added that the minority institutions, need not share 50% of their seats with the State Government, except by doing so voluntarily in view of Article 15 (5) and 30 of the Constitution. The admission made in respect of the 15% NRI quota by non-governmental medical institutions in the state, excepting minority institutions, was not valid, which was set aside, as per the Central government communications dated March 10 and April 6. The Non-governmental institutions, except minority institutions, shall give away all their seats including 15% NRI quota seats for centralized common counseling to be conducted by the state.

The judge said, the state being the counseling authority, it shall notify in the website the details relating to availability of seats in each college / university / institution (specialty wise), complete fee structure of all non-governmental institutions including the Deemed Universities which shall also include the expenses the student has to incur for pursuing his course, list of candidates absent during the counseling, list of candidates who have not joined in governmental / non-governmental institutions including Deemed Universities and details of seats allotted to NRI quota (specialty wise).

SUPRAJA