HC Favors ST Students Admission In Health Science

Students belonging to the Schedule Tribe category seeking admission to Health Science courses finally gets a decision, when the Aurangabad bench Bombay High Court directed the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) not to ignore ST Category candidates, instead accept their preference forms with an undertaking that they would submit their caste validity certificate within three months.

ST Category candidates had challenged he rule 9 of MHT-CET 2012, according to which they were required to submit their caste validity certificate at the time of filling preference forms. The process of filling in the forms began on July 3 and ends today (Wednesday) 11th July.

The petitioners lawyer Sunil Vibhute said "The rule 9 also provided that students from reserved categories, except ST, were to submit only caste certificates and later submit caste validity certificates within a specific period". Further on following the arguments, justices NH Patil and SB Deshmukh directed the DMER and all regional authorities concerned in Maharashtra to accept the preference forms of the ST students, provided they give an undertaking with proof showing that their caste claim was pending with the caste scrutiny committee.

The court also made it clear that all these admissions should be provisional and subject to the decision of the caste verification committee on point of validity of certificates. The additional government pleader, Archana Gondhalekar, represented the Government and the director of medical education. The next hearing on the same petition is on 20th of July.