Supreme Court upholds reduction of Institutional Quota at GMCH Sector 32

Chandigarh: The institutional quota of the Sector-32 Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for postgraduate courses in medicine and science (MD/MS) which was decreased from a 100% to 25 % through the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict has become a finality with the Supreme Court upholding the High Court's Decision.

The Supreme Court verdict has pronounced that for the purpose of PG Medical admissions the college must give 25% of its seats to eligible MBBS students with Chandigarh domicile and 25% to MBBS graduates from the college. The rest of the seats, which are in the central pool, are to remain untouched.

The supreme court has upheld the high court verdict in response to a writ filed by the UT health department against the high court's order of doing away with 100% institutional quota in MD/MS for the GMCH graduates, reports the TOI.

"The arguments continued for over an hour," a petitioner said. "But the Supreme Court found no reason to overrule the high court."

61 of the 125 college seats are filled through the institutional quota, while there are only 50 MBBS students, while the admission was through NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), followed by three counselling sessions.

The first counselling started on April 4 in which a candidate, Dr. Chahat Bhatia, was found ineligible to apply through the state quota, as she had not graduated from the GMCH. Rejected the applicant moved the high court and was allowed to take part in counselling under an interim order. While the case was in the high court, some other students had moved the apex court on May 10. However, the Supreme Court dismissed their petition and asked the high court to give a quick decision.

However, when the high court passed a judgment on May 15, favouring 25% institutional quota and 25% state quota, the UT health department, which regulates admissions at the GMCH, approached the apex court stating that it had followed the institutional quota rule of 61 seats for its graduates for the past 20 years.

11 students from other medical colleges contested this in their petition in the high court.

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