Explain admission policy for N-E,J&K in Delhi medical colleges: HC

“The Union of India must give a rationale of having this policy,considering the argument that while these states could not have medical colleges at the time the policy was framed,but now the situation had changed and they also had established medical colleges… this could tantamount to creating a class within a class and,hence,has to be satisfied on legal principles,” Justice Misra said.

Reading out a rule on admission to medical colleges,the bench observed that while these students could be exempted from entrance tests in their home states,there had to be specific rationale while giving them this benefit for colleges in Delhi.

“The government must come up with a reason before we decide this issue because this will have a tremendous impact,” the bench said.

Justice Misra had earlier sought the assistance of Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman so that the government stand could be known “in clear-cut terms.” But Nariman could not turn up because of prior engagements in the Supreme Court and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Gourab Banerji led the matter on his behalf.

The ASG told the court that the government was looking into the impugned scheme and its significance in current times. “That is why the ministries concerned and the Medical Council of India (MCI) was planning to have a single common entrance test for all medical colleges across the country to avoid any such din,” Banerji said.

Meanwhile,ASG A S Chandhiok appeared for the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and said that he would also assist the court in the matter as the decision in the case affected the states.

Hearing a petition by two aspiring medical students,the bench had come across the contention that students from N-E states and J&K did not have to sit for the entrance examination conducted by Delhi University for its medical colleges and were admitted directly on the basis of their scores in the subjects of Physics,Biology,Chemistry and English in Class XII.

The court then framed five issues to be adjudicated upon,including whether the Central government could have issued such guidelines in respect of certain states or Union Territories and also whether students belonging to these states and UTs could take admission in Delhi colleges without an entrance examination.