St John's admission process running contrary to Regulation 9A: HC slams college

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court in an observation of the admission process followed by the St John's National Academy of Health Sciences (St. John Medical College) Bengaluru, has called it contrary to both merit and regulation 9A of Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000.

"'Rule of law' requires the college to follow the procedure for admission mandated under regulation 9A. The regulation(9A)has come into effect from March 11,2017, and therefore, it is applicable to any PG course for the academic year 2017-18, if contrary, it is void." the court ‘s division bench comprising of Justices H G Ramesh and John Michael Cunha further observed.

The bench, which is hearing the petition filed by one Dr Rachana Kishore, made this observation as the selection of students is not solely based on the score obtained by the candidates in NEET.

The court has declined to vacate the stay vis-a-vis the admission process ordered on March 21 by it .

As there is still time left for admissions to be carried out in accordance with regulation 9A, the bench gave permission to the college to participate in the common counselling laid down under it and admit students for the academic year 2017-18 on allotment of seats, by the Common Counseling Authority. It heeded the college to approach the said authority,without further delay, reported the TOI.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that the HC while hearing a petition filed by Dr Rachana Kishore Ubrangala, an MBBS,  Mangaluru, graduate had granted a stay on the admission process for the postgraduate medical courses, at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences.

The bench also put a stay on collection of fees from candidates named in the provisional list for admission to the PG medical course (if the fee is yet to be collected) and directed the college to keep one seat of MD (Paediatrics) vacant.

The petitioner’s contention was that though she had fared very well in NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test), she had not found a place in the provisional list; whereas lower ranking students had been considered for admissions by the Academy.

She also alleged that St John’s was adhering to its own admission process, instead of that prescribed by the Supreme Court, based on NEET ranking and fixed by the Medical Council of India. The academy, the petitioner alleged, has included practical test scores and interview, in addition to the NEET ranking.

The bench, in its previous order, had said, “It prima facie appears that the MCI regulations provide for NEET ranking, and such criteria will be diluted, if any other marks are considered, like practical test, interview etc.”