BENGALURU: The High Court on Tuesday declined to grant a stay on the rule mandating medical students to serve a minimum of one year in rural areas.
The state government had recently notified rules making one-year rural service mandatory for medical students. Students found violating this rule will lose their degrees and they will have to pay a penalty ranging between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 30 lakh. Justice Ravi Malimath posted the hearing of the petition filed by Dr K Jai Babu, Dr Rohith Chopra and others to Monday.
The petitioners, who have completed their medical courses in the state, have challenged the retrospective implementation of the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Medical Course Act, 2012, as well as the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Courses (Counselling, Allotment and Certification) Rules, 2015, which came into effect from July 24.
The rule is applicable to students of state-run colleges and government-quota seats in private medical colleges.
‘Curb Illegal Cattle Slaughter’
The High Court on Tuesday disposed of a public interest petition after directing the state government, BBMP and other authorities concerned to abide by the single-judge bench order of March 6 on prevention of illegal transportation and slaughtering of cattle.
Hearing a petition filed by New Delhi-based Gau Gyan Foundation, a division bench of Officiating Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna said the single-judge bench had already directed the respondents to take steps to implement the provisions of the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1964, Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals Act, 1960, and the Transportation of Animal Rules, 1978.
Additional Advocate General A G Shivanna submitted that the state has already taken steps for its implementation. A similar submission was made by K N Puttegowda, counsel for BBMP.
The Foundation had claimed that illegal transportation, sale and slaughter of cattle reaches phenomenal proportions during Bakrid. It claimed that though more than one lakh heads of cattle are illegally transported to Bengaluru and sold for slaughter during that time in complete violation of the laws, the authorities have not taken any preventive steps.