Chennai: The Madras high court has posted on August 23 for orders on a PIL, which sought to direct the Union government to complete the procedures for obtaining the Presidential assent for the Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS courses Act, 2017 and the Tamil Nadu Admission to Post Graduate courses in Medicine and Dentistry Act, 2017.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar posted to August 23 for orders on a PIL filed by P.B. Prince Ganedra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System -TN.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the counsel for the Union government submitted that the petitioner has to approach only the Supreme Court. A decision by the Union government on the request made by the Tamil Nadu government seeking exemption from Neet for this year is expected in a day or two, he added.
According to petitioner, the state exercised its legislative authority and its legislature passed the two Bills unanimously. These Bills after the Governor’s assent was sent for Presidential assent as early in February 2017. However, even after a lapse of 5 months, the Union ministry of home affairs has not placed the Bills for the consideration of the President of India. On a letter from T.K. Rangarajan, Member of Parliament, seeking the status of the two Bills, the President’s office has responded stating that no such Bills have been received by their office from the ministry of home affairs. The MHA is yet to take action on the Bills, he added.
He said the delay in appropriating assent the said Bills has raised a lot of confusion and uncertainty and has put a lot of trauma on the children. The state government has answered all the queries that the Union government has raised in respect of these Bills.
The state has time until August 31 to complete the counselling and admission process and the period of six months for Union ends by August 18. Thus, by a timely action great jeopardy to the children belonging to disadvantaged sections of TN could be prevented, he added.
