Hyderabad: In a reprieve to several private medical colleges, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed restoration of the MBBS seats that had earlier been disapproved.
The ruling will add about 600 MBBS seats in Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh.
However, the SC has directed the colleges to provide written undertakings that they will fulfill the MCI norms within a stipulated time, else will be liable to forfeit their bank guarantees.
The apex court on Thursday directed the MCI to allow the colleges to conduct admissions as per their intake capacity till the end of September. With this, 300 MBBS seats each have been restored in TS and AP. The colleges will be able to admit students in this year academic year itself.
Arguing on behalf of the colleges, former Union minister and eminent lawyer Kapil Sibal said the MCI had refused renewal of MBBS seats giving frivolous reasons, whereas the seats in government medical colleges, despite them having serious deficiencies, had been restored.
The Supreme Court ruled that the admissions would be subject to certain conditions. Colleges would have to adhere to the norms stipulated by the MCI or they would be liable to lose their bank guarantees.
When contacted, Syed Azazur Rehman, vice-chairman, Shadan Education Society, said that the judgement had not been received yet. He added, “We are assuming that the SC might have given the direction for forfeiting the bank guarantees which colleges have already provided.”
A member of the MCI clarified, “There was a slight delay in inspections due to a technical issue, so government medical colleges had been given a blanket restoration of seats by the MCI this year.
Private colleges contended that they should also be allowed.”
