Patna high court orders counselling by govt for vacant MBBS seats in pvt colleges

Patna: The Patna high court on Friday censured the

state

government for "facilitating" counselling of students by three private medical colleges in the state for MBBS admissions in violation of the Supreme Court directive for a centralised counselling, and ordered fresh counselling for the vacant seats in the private colleges.

The three private medical colleges in the state are Narayan Medical College at Sasaram, Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College at

Kishanganj

and Katihar Medical College at Katihar. These colleges have 100 MBBS seats each.

Hearing a petition filed by MBBS aspirant Ankit Raj, a single bench of Justice

Ajay Kumar Tripathi

refrained from passing an order on the seats for which the counselling had already been conducted as "the interference by the court at this juncture will have a direct fallout on their (admitted students) future and career".

However, the counselling for the vacant seats will have to be conducted afresh by the state government's Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECB) from October 1, petitioner's counsel Dinu Kumar told

TOI

and added the counselling for these seats had to be completed by October 7.

The apex court earlier this year said counselling for MBBS seats in the the government and private medical colleges would have to be conducted by the state government on the basis of NEET scores.

"Obviously there has been serious omission on the part of the State in not updating themselves with the law as well as modifying the requirements of counselling. No doubt, the indulgence shown by the State has facilitated admission of students into these private medical colleges, who may not be as meritorious as many other candidates, who could have got admission provided a centralized counselling was held," the order reads.

The court has nonetheless put a question mark on the fate of the students who have been already admitted. "The admissions so granted will not create a right in favour of any of the students, who have been given admission in these three medical colleges and their final status will depend upon the final adjudication and outcome (of this case), which will subsequently emerge," the order further reads.

The court also directed the management of the three private colleges to paste a copy of its order prominently on their notice boards for the knowledge of the students "who are free to join as respondents to defend their interests". It also directed these colleges to let the BCECB know by Saturday how many seats were vacant.

The court directed the principal secretary (health) to give wide publicity to its order for knowledge of the students through all possible mediums. The matter will be heard again on October 20.

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