SC allows Koppal medical college to admit students

The Supreme Court has allowed Koppal Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)to admit 150 MBBS students in the academic year 2018-19, after the Karnataka government gave an undertaking on removal of deficiencies pointed by the Centre.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao, however, clarified all the admissions must be undertaken from the candidates selected in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test.

“We, accordingly, direct that the KIMS shall be permitted to admit students for the current academic year 2018-19, subject to full compliance of the requirements,” the bench said.

The state government, led by Additional Advocate General Devadatt Kamat and standing counsel V N Raghupathy, had challenged the Karnataka High Court’s judgement of June 25. The high court had declined permission to the KIMS after the Centre pointed out deficiencies in the number of teaching faculty, non-teaching and para-medical staff, non-availability of number of beds, etc.

The state contended that the KIMS was established for the uplift of backward region. The counsel submitted that the Additional Chief Secretary would undertake to remove all deficiencies. Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, representing the Centre, did not oppose the plea, as the SC had earlier granted permission to government medical colleges in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

“There is no dispute that the present petitioner-college is a similar government medical college. We, therefore, see no reason as to why similar relief should not be granted to it in view of the affidavit of undertaking filed by the Additional Chief Secretary to the government of Karnataka and the affidavit of compliance filed by the same officer,” the bench said.