PG admission: General category doctors move SC again

A group of general category candidates on Friday approached the Supreme Court once again to seek a modification of the June 4 order to exercise fresh choice on the allotment of Post Graduate medical and dental seats in Maharashtra after scrapping of 10 % quota for economically weaker sections this year.

The candidates led by senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Govindjee mentioned the application before a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Ajay Rastogi seeking an urgent hearing.

The court agreed to consider on Monday, June 10 their application for modification of the June 4 order.

Hegde, in his submission, said, "We were told to stick to our original choice. We would suffer if not given a choice to exercise fresh preferences."

The counsel, appearing for Maharashtra, opposed the plea, saying there was a blanket order by the court on June 4 that no other plea would be entertained in the matter.

He said, "The state machinery was being stalled by filing one application or the other."

Hegde countered him, by contending, "They caused mess up and now dragging their feet."

The court had on June 4 told the Maharashtra government to hold 'final' counselling for general candidates, who got admission to PG medical and dental seats, by June 14.

It had also directed for the reshuffling of seats days after it declared that there can't be 10 % quota for economically weaker sections this year.

On the candidates' plea, the court had also extended the deadline for admission from June 4 to 14.

The court, however, clarified that the candidates would not be allowed to change preferences made at the time of filling up the admission form.

The court had earlier chided the Maharashtra government for failing to revise and reshuffle admission list in PG medical and dental courses after it had scrapped 10 % EWS quota this year since the corresponding number of seats were not increased.