CHENNAI: Are private medical colleges in the State surrendering 50 per cent of seats in post-graduate courses to the government as per the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations from its enactment in 2000?
Justice N Kirubakaran raised the question on Tuesday when a writ petition from M Kamaraj of Namakkal District seeking a direction to the State Health secretary to appropriate 50 per cent of the seats in recognised post graduate and diploma courses in respect of each specialty from all private medical colleges.
He directed the TN government to furnish details about the total number of seats available in PG courses in each medical college, including minority institutions and deemed universities [course wise, speciality wise] in each year from 2000.
The judge further said that it should be explained as to how many seats should have been surrendered by non-governmental medical institutions, out of the total number of seats, from 2000 onwards and the number of seats that had been surrendered.
He also directed the Medical Council of India (MCI) to file a reply whether it is supervising seat sharing between the private medical institutions and their respective State governments scrupulously every year. If it is not done by the concerned private medical institutions, whether any action has been taken against them. If not taken, the reason for not taking action against erring colleges.
The court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to give a reply with regard to the decision taken by it all these years in the sharing of seats, especially when the Supreme Court had already directed that seat sharing should be based on common counselling.
The replies should be filed by April 3, as the counselling is to start from April 4, the judge said. He posted the matter for further hearing on April 3.