Plea by PG medical students: HC summons principal secretary

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the principal secretary to Medical Education department to appear before the court on Thursday in connection with a petition filed by postgraduate medical students.

The students had challenged the rule which does not allow students to attend offline counselling after selecting government medical colleges of their choice in online counselling.

A division bench comprising Justices N Kumar and B Sreenivase Gowda ordered notice to the Directorate of Medical Education and Karnataka Examinations Authority. The bench also directed the medical students who were interested in opting for any other seats to approach the authorities and that their request should be considered if they were found eligible for admission.

Noothana S and 96 other medical students had approached the court seeking directions to allow them to attend offline counselling after selecting the medical college of their choice during the online counselling. There are 200-odd seats for online counselling and 300-odd seats for offline counselling of medical seats.   The bench adjourned the next hearing to Thursday.

Plea withdrawn
The High Court has dismissed the petition filed by the Koramangala First Block Residents’ Welfare Association after they withdrew the petition.  A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy observed a petition was already pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and

the Supreme Court and the petitioner could approach the High Court with a fresh petition later.

The petitioner had contended that two real estate builders - Mantri Tech Zone Pvt Ltd and Coremind Software and Services Pvt Ltd -had come up with a project on the wetlands of Bellandur and Agara lake encroaching upon the stormwater drains connecting the two lakes.