Appeals challenging the decision of a single bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court,where it was made clear that application forms for MBBS course could not have been received or entertained after June 24,the cut-off date,were withdrawn on Thursday. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih refused to grant relief in the two appeals filed. The appellants had challenged the High Courts order saying fresh applications for admission could not be invited for the additional 50 MBBS seats in the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital. However,the court has given liberty to the appellants to approach the Supreme Court (SC) for filing an application asking for a change of admission schedule. The last date for admission to the MBBS/BDS course for 2013-2014 is September 30. As of now,the admissions for the additional seats have been kept pending till September 10. During the resumed hearing,the Medical Council of India (MCI) filed an affidavit stating the college had no authority to invite fresh applications adding the regulations on Graduate Medical Education,1997,framed by the MCI and notified in the official gazette of India,did not permit it. A student awaiting admission to the Government Medical College in the second round of counseling,Arpit Agrawal,had initially moved the High Court challenging the action of the Chandigarh Administration and the Medical College for inviting fresh admissions,even though the last date was June 24. Agrawal alleged many students,whose application forms were deficient of documents,had been granted admission. This was despite the prospectus specifically stating that incomplete applications were liable to be rejected. The petitioner had contended fresh applications were not being entertained after the cut-off date for admission against the 15 per cent all-India quota. But the Chandigarh Administration was acting arbitrarily causing grave prejudice to the petitioner and similarly situated students for the 85 per cent quota. He had averred it would also affect admissions in each category for which reservations had been provided.
