Increased MBBS seats at 5 Medical Colleges: Supreme Court asks Govt to examine

New Delhi : The center has been asked by the Supreme Court to examine if St John Medical College, Bengaluru and 4 other institutions across the country could be allowed to increase MBBS student intake for the academic year 2018-19.

A bench of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice S A Bobde in a recent order, directed the central government to find out whether Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Latur, Dabhade, Pune, Sree Gobind Singh Tricentenary Medical College Hospital & Research Institute, Gurgaon, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Talegaon, and Sree Balaji Medical College & Hospital, Chennai, could be allowed an increase in the number of seats.

The court ordered this in response to a plea by Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College, Kishanganj for enhancement of student intake from 60 to 100 in the fourth batch of MBBS course.

However in the case of Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College, Kishanganj, the central government raised an objection to the MCI recommendation of intake enhancement, arguing that the medical regulator could not have conducted a second inspection in this case.

The court, however, submitted that the petitioner-college had undergone rectification of shortcomings pointed out by the MCI in its first inspection prior to May 30. Based on it the court gave directions to the central government to allow enhanced intake of students.

On being told that there were 5 other colleges in a similar situation as the petitioner college the court asked the Union government to scrutinize the possibility of these institutions being granted seat enhancement as well reports Deccan Herald.

However, the bench clarified, “The directions given to the Union of India above are in the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case and shall not be treated as a precedent.”