SC declines pleas to modify directions on PG medical courses admission in Maharashtra

The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain applications seeking modification of its June 4 directions related to admissions to post graduate medical and dental courses in the 2019-20 academic year in Maharashtra.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Ajay Rastogi said the seats available after the apex court's order staying the notification to grant 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections (EWS), should be filled strictly according to merit.

Advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, appearing for the Maharashtra government, and the counsel representing the state's Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell told the bench that they were following the law laid down by the top court in the admission process for PG medical and dental courses.

One of the applications filed by some students in the court had sought modification of direction passed by the apex court in its June 4 order by which it had said no further plea on admissions to PG medical and dental courses in 2019-20 academic year in the state would be entertained by any court.

The other application had sought modification of the direction by which the court had said that no student will be permitted to change his or her preference for allotment of seat given by them at the time of making their application on March 5, 2019.

The application on the direction related to any further challenge had said the Bombay High Court is presently seized of a matter related to challenge to an Ordinance promulgated by Maharashtra in May on reservation of seats for admission in educational institution in the state for socially and educationally backward classes.

It had said that the petitioner had first approached the apex court against the Ordinance but they were asked by the court to move the high court.

The application had said the apex court should clarify that its June 4 order would not come in the way of high court deciding the plea challenging the validity of the Ordinance.

The other application had sought modification of the June 4 direction saying the qualified students should be permitted to exercise change of his or her preference for allotment of seats in the PG medical and dental courses for 2019-2020 academic year.

The top court had on June 4 directed the Maharashtra government to conduct final round of counselling by June 14 for admissions to PG medical and dental courses in the 2019-20 academic year.

The apex court had earlier threatened contempt proceedings against Maharashtra government officials for "virtually overriding" its order staying 10 per cent quota to students of EWS in admissions to PG medical and dental courses in 2019-20.