PIL challenges additional medical seats for management quota in Gujarat

A PIL has been filed in the

Gujarat High Court against the allocation of 677 additional seats to management quota in the ongoing medical college admission process.

The PIL, filed by advocate K R Koshti, said the allocation of 677 extra seats to management quota was against the Gujarat Professional Medical Educational Colleges or Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fees) Act, 2007.

The petition is listed for hearing on Thursday.

There are a total of 5,298 seats in medical colleges in Gujarat, out of which 5,123 seats are in government category, and 175 seats, or 25 percent of 700 seats of five unaided medical colleges are earmarked for management quota.

But the Admission Committee has allocated only 4,446 seats to various categories, and 677 extra seats to management quota including NRI seats in violation of the 2007 Act, it claimed.

It violates fundamental rights of the other eligible students, it said.

The PIL also claimed that admissions were granted on the basis of unverified certificates of non-creamy layer for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

This was evident from the fact that many of the students who submitted such certificates opted for management quota seats or seats in self-financed medical colleges where fees range from Rs 8.25 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per year, the PIL said.

The petition demanded that the allocation of 677 seats be declared as illegal and set aside, and the authorities be directed to ensure complete verification of SEBC and EWS certificates.