"We, therefore, direct that admission to all medical seats shall be conducted by centralized counseling only by the state government and none else," said the Bench and also directed the state to complete the entire counseling process by September 30.
The Apex Court on Thursday cancelled all counseling and admissions to undergraduate medical courses in Madhya Pradesh's government and private medical colleges. The court also ordered for a fresh counseling process by the state government.
Cancelling the counseling already done, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice A R Dave said, "If any counseling has been done by any college or university and any admission to any medical seat has been given so far, such admission shall stand cancelled forthwith and admission shall be given only as per centralized counseling done by the state Government."
Court's directive
- Fresh counseling to be completed by September 30
- The court directed the state government to conduct a fresh counselling and to complete it by September 30. The Bench also took into account the statement by the Madhya Pradesh government that said it was ready to "undertake the entire process afresh" and assures to be completed by September 30, the last date of admission
- "We, therefore, direct that admission to all medical seats shall be conducted by centralized counseling only by the state government and none else," said the Bench
- "We also feel that it is a proper course of action in as much as it will enable the private institutions to send their representatives at the place of counseling as per the information which may be displayed by the counseling authority forthwith at its website", the bench said.
Views of the Assistant Soloicitor General
The order came on followed by a contempt petition by the state government alleging the violation of apex court's judgement on May 2, 2016
ASG PS Patwalia had contended that private medical colleges were in "wilful and deliberate disobedience" of top court verdict of May 2, on a batch of petitions by private medical colleges challenging the state high court judgment upholding the validity of Madhya Pradesh's 2007 law on admission to private professional institutions and determination of fees and the related rules, 2008
The court also put on record the assurance by Additional Solicitor General that all seats, whether of government colleges or the private institutions, will be filled up and no one will remain vacant