SC holds Medical Courses admissions till NEET final verdict

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that admission to the undergraduate & postgraduate Medical / Dental courses across the country would be subject to the final outcome of the petitions challenging the Medical Council of India's (MCI) decision requiring that candidates clear the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET UG PG).

"All admissions being made would be subject to the final outcome of the judgment to be passed by the other bench," a vacation bench of Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B. Lokur said.

The apex court bench of Justice Gyan Sudha Misra and Justice Madan B Lokur said this on an application filed by NGO Sankalp, seeking direction that the private medical colleges which were enrolling students on the basis of their own entrance tests should admit only those students who had appeared in the NEET and secured at least 50 per cent marks.

NGO, counsel Prashant Bhushan told the court that the interim order passed by the apex court on May 13 was not clear as it had allowed the declarations of the results of the entrance examinations conducted by the Medical Council under the NEET and by various private colleges but did not spell out how admissions would take place.

Bhusan also said there could be a chance to take the admission, candidates who have not passed NEET exam with 50% of marks.

This suggestion was opposed by senior counsel P.H. Parikh, appearing for a college, who said that the minimum percentage of marks for the successful candidate was 50 percent even in the entrance tests conducted by the private medical colleges.

Parikh said that if admissions were not to be made on the basis of the entrance test conducted by the private medical colleges, than what was the purpose of declaring the results.

The apex Court by its May 13 order allowed the declaration of results of MCI's NEET and also of tests by private medical colleges to facilitate the admissions for the current academic year.