Kerala:Minority Medical Colleges knock High Court doors

Kochi: The government directive to the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations to conduct admissions for all seats, including Management and Non Resident Indian (NRI) quota in all private medical and dental colleges in the state stands challenged in the High Court according to the Hindu.

The petition was filed on Tuesday by the Kerala Christian Professional College Managements' Federation. The federation constitutes of managements of the Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, both in Thrissu; Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College, the Amala Institute of Medical Sciences and Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, , Kolenchery, and Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences & Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences, Thiruvalla.

Calling the Government order, dated August 20 per se illegal, the petitioner claimed that the decision was taken on the basis of the government's directive. The federation brought to light the fact that seats till now had been filled in accordance with the agreement between the management and the state government. The agreement is meant to be valid for three years: 2015-16, 2016-17 & 2017-18, the petitioner went on to add.

The petition further stated that the admission process in colleges under the federation was already under way, and in accordance with the admission supervisory committee's approval.

Earlier in the week, minority managements of medical institutions, taking a severely critical view of the state government's order to admit management and NRI quota students in private colleges through NEET merit list, had decided to move the High Court on Monday. The Muslim Educational Society (MES), State President, Dr P A Fazal Gafoor had announced the decision taken in this regard on Sunday. He described government take over of admissions, against the concept of self-financing institutions.

Mr Gafoor blamed the Justice James Committee for the current provocation saying that the "unnecessary intervention" by the committee had resulted in a stalemate situation. He blamed the committee for having misdirected state authorities, resulting in the state government and college management discussions coming to a halt.

He said government interference in the admission process was a direct infringement upon the minority management rights, upheld by the Judiciary, in many of its judgements.

"This year all the medical college managements were ready to cooperate with the government and we were about to reach an understanding when the Union health ministry directed the government that it may preferably go for a combined counselling for admission to MBBS/ BDS courses in all medical and dental colleges, including deemed universities. Though the directive had not made it mandatory for the state government to carry out the allotment, the James Committee gave a wrong interpretation to it," he said.

Coming down strongly on the state government's take over of the admission process Mr. Gafoor said ,"It is like nationalisation of the private medical colleges."