Maharashtra: Private deemed colleges to move court against MCI direction

Mumbai: The Medical Council of India's (MCI) go ahead to the state government to conduct admissions to all medical and dental colleges, including private and deemed, has resulted in the colleges deciding to challenge the apex regulator's move.This decision comes 10 days after the MCI announcement.

The March 11 notification of the MCI states- all admissions to medical and dental colleges will be based on the marks obtained by applicants in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and will be done through the state-held Common Admission Process (CAP).

This, in other words, would lead to private and deemed colleges loosing their autonomy over the counselling process.

"We have decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the MCI's instruction. It violates the fundamental rights of private institutes to conduct their own admissions," said Kamal Kishore Kadam, President, Association of Management of Unaided Private Medical and Dental colleges.

The State government has decided to go ahead with the admissions process following the MCI instruction and issued notifications to all private and deemed medical colleges.

"Following the order from the Government of India, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has issued notifications to colleges," said Secretary, Medical Education,Rajagopal Devara.

"(Private and deemed) Colleges have been asked for feedback. We have made it very clear that we want to conduct our own counseling," said Kadam.

The state government has been trying to control the reins of admissions in the state for the past two years. In the academic year 2016-17, when the DMER in an attempt to gain control over the admission process in private and deemed colleges issued a notice to this effect, the colleges challenged its decision in the High Court; which decided in favour of the colleges. However, the Supreme Court in September 2016, decided otherwise, authorizing the DMER to supervise all state admissions.

However, the admission process by then was almost over, and the court did not term the admissions done as illegal. However, the 350 seats still lying vacant, were to be filled by the state. The court however, said that admissions for the academic year 2017-18 for private and deemed universities were to be decided by the Bombay High Court. The matter is yet to come up for hearing in the High Court.

"Private colleges can go to SC but since there is no stay order on last year's SC order, the DMER will conduct the admissions this year," said Devara.

The DMER has suggested that the state take a strong stand against the colleges that refuse to participate in the CAP. "We will prepare a list of the colleges who refuse to admit students through CAP. We will then seek advice from the law and judiciary department on what action we can take. It may so happen that the admissions done bypassing the CAP will be deemed invalid," Director, DMER, Pravin Shinghare told the Indian Express.

"Unless the SC decides otherwise, we will go ahead with last year's order," he added.