Take over Shridev Suman Subharti Medical College: Supreme Court directs Uttarakhand Govt

New Delhi: In what can be considered as a one-of-a-kind landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed a private medical college in Uttarakhand to hand over its land, building and all assets to the state government after its students raised issues of lack of infrastructure and teaching faculty there.

A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman passed the order while hearing a petition filed by a group of 74 NEET qualified students, who were admitted to the first year MBBS course in the college.

Deputy advocate general of Uttarakhand Jatinder Kumar Sethi told the bench that the state would be willing to take over the college along with its entire infrastructure and assets, both movable and immovable so that it could meet the norms of Medical Council of India and affiliated with Dehradun's Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University.

"We direct the college to hand over the land, building and all assets, as stated hereinabove, to the state government forthwith to be completed latest by tomorrow, that is, December 7, 2018," the bench said.

This is only to allay an apprehension raised by Sethi that the management of college should not be given any time to deal with the assets and/or infrastructure, as it exists, as of today," the court said.

It made clear that if the university affiliates the institution and Medical Council of India grants requisite permission, the students can sit for first-year examination of MBBS course to be conducted by the university.

"In pursuance of our order for handing over possession today itself, the Director General of Police, Dehradun, is directed to seal the aforesaid premises forthwith. We make it clear that any litigation qua this college, that may arise in future, can only be made before this court and no other," the court said.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on December 13.