Fill up forms for medical seats diligently, HC tells students
CHENNAI, JULY 07, 2019 00:00 IST
Rejects candidate’s plea over not getting admission to PIMS
The Madras High Court impressed upon the need for students to fill up the NEET application forms carefully and said those who failed to do so cannot complain about less meritorious among them having been given admission in better institutions.
Justices Vineet Kothari and C.V. Karthikeyan dismissed a writ appeal preferred by one such student who had lost the chance of gaining admission in PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Coimbatore last year because of her failure to fill up the application form properly. She filed a case after the seat was allotted to a student who had scored less marks than her.
Sanctity of particulars
“The solemn sanctity of the particulars mentioned in a form has to be upheld, particularly when thousands of candidates participate and if one candidate had improperly filled up an application form, which had also been counter signed by her parent, we hold that no leniency can be shown to such candidate,” the Division Bench said.
Initially, a single judge of the High Court had dismissed her writ petition on January 21 this year and hence the present appeal. The appellant pointed out that she had scored 386 marks in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for 2018-19 and was allotted a government seat at Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in Madurai on July 4 last year.
Nevertheless, since the student was particular in getting admitted in PIMS, Coimbatore, she appeared for the first round of counselling under the management quota seats on July 30, 2018. However, she could not get a seat in the desired college in the first round and was not allowed to participate in the second round of counselling due to lapses in filling up the application form.
In the second round, another student who had scored much less marks than her in NEET was allotted a seat in the Coimbatore institute forcing the girl to approach the High Court. Initially, during the course of the hearing of the writ appeal, the Division Bench wanted to know if the appellant could also be accommodated in PIMS by increasing the student strength.
However, V.P. Raman, counsel for Medical Council of India, stated that any direction to increase the number of seats in the middle of the academic year, and particularly when one year of course had already been completed, would not be appropriate and it was up to the MCI to decide whether the number of seats in a medical college should be increased or not.
Finding force in his submissions, the judges said, “The entire concept of admission through NEET is a procedure evolved by the honourable Supreme Court and we are conscious that we should be very circumspect in interfering with the allotment of medical seats leading to increase in sanctioned strength which are in the exclusive realm of the Medical Council of India.
“The policy of a common entrance test for admission to MBBS course was to provide an equal platform for all candidates across the country and when a procedure has been upheld in law, it would be in the fitness of things that we adhere to the procedure laid down. We are also conscious of the fact that the appellant herein is already pursuing her MBBS course in Velammal College.
“Her dreams of qualifying to be a doctor has been realised... She would not be seriously prejudiced in any manner. On the other hand, the fifth respondent (the other student against whom the case had been filed) would be seriously prejudiced for he had been rightfully allotted a seat in management quota in PSG College,” the judges concluded.
CHENNAI, JULY 07, 2019 00:00 IST
Rejects candidate’s plea over not getting admission to PIMS
The Madras High Court impressed upon the need for students to fill up the NEET application forms carefully and said those who failed to do so cannot complain about less meritorious among them having been given admission in better institutions.
Justices Vineet Kothari and C.V. Karthikeyan dismissed a writ appeal preferred by one such student who had lost the chance of gaining admission in PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Coimbatore last year because of her failure to fill up the application form properly. She filed a case after the seat was allotted to a student who had scored less marks than her.
Sanctity of particulars
“The solemn sanctity of the particulars mentioned in a form has to be upheld, particularly when thousands of candidates participate and if one candidate had improperly filled up an application form, which had also been counter signed by her parent, we hold that no leniency can be shown to such candidate,” the Division Bench said.
Initially, a single judge of the High Court had dismissed her writ petition on January 21 this year and hence the present appeal. The appellant pointed out that she had scored 386 marks in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for 2018-19 and was allotted a government seat at Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in Madurai on July 4 last year.
Nevertheless, since the student was particular in getting admitted in PIMS, Coimbatore, she appeared for the first round of counselling under the management quota seats on July 30, 2018. However, she could not get a seat in the desired college in the first round and was not allowed to participate in the second round of counselling due to lapses in filling up the application form.
In the second round, another student who had scored much less marks than her in NEET was allotted a seat in the Coimbatore institute forcing the girl to approach the High Court. Initially, during the course of the hearing of the writ appeal, the Division Bench wanted to know if the appellant could also be accommodated in PIMS by increasing the student strength.
However, V.P. Raman, counsel for Medical Council of India, stated that any direction to increase the number of seats in the middle of the academic year, and particularly when one year of course had already been completed, would not be appropriate and it was up to the MCI to decide whether the number of seats in a medical college should be increased or not.
Finding force in his submissions, the judges said, “The entire concept of admission through NEET is a procedure evolved by the honourable Supreme Court and we are conscious that we should be very circumspect in interfering with the allotment of medical seats leading to increase in sanctioned strength which are in the exclusive realm of the Medical Council of India.
“The policy of a common entrance test for admission to MBBS course was to provide an equal platform for all candidates across the country and when a procedure has been upheld in law, it would be in the fitness of things that we adhere to the procedure laid down. We are also conscious of the fact that the appellant herein is already pursuing her MBBS course in Velammal College.
“Her dreams of qualifying to be a doctor has been realised... She would not be seriously prejudiced in any manner. On the other hand, the fifth respondent (the other student against whom the case had been filed) would be seriously prejudiced for he had been rightfully allotted a seat in management quota in PSG College,” the judges concluded.
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