HC reverses single judge's order

The Madras High Court today reversed the order of a single judge refusing to direct the Medical Council of India to permit four medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to admit students in MBBS courses this year.
A divisng bench, comprising Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh, also asked the Centre to reconsider the matter within a week.
"We direct the central government to pass appropriate orders within a period of one week after affording an opportunity of hearing the colleges without being influenced by any of the observations made by the single judge on merits", they said.

"Accordingly, the impugned orders passed by the Union Health Secretary as well as by the single judge stands set aside", the judges said.
Sri Muthukumaran Educational Trust, Annapoorna Medical College & Hospital, Tagore Medical College & Hospital and Madha Medical College and Research Institute were refused permission to admit students this year as surprise inspections by teams of MCI personnel revealed severe deficiencies in campus amenities.
On August 13, a single judge refused to interfere with the decision of MCI.
Assailing the order, the colleges told the bench that the deficiencies as found in the recommendations made by MCI were not traceable to any regulations and therefore they could not be the basis for orders disapproval.

The bench said the central government had passed the orders by merely accepting the recommendations of MCI, adding "we are of the considered view that the Centre has abdicated its duty in not passing the orders on merit and on consideration of the available materials".