CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Union government to pass within a week orders on the recommendations of the Medical Council of India (MCI) to accommodate 144 second year students of the defunct Annai Medical College at Sriperumbudur in some other medical colleges run by the State government.
Justice N Kirubakaran issued the directive while passing interim orders on a batch of writ petitions from Hari Prasad and over 100 other affected students on Wednesday.
By an order dated December 22, 2017, the judge had directed Tamil Nadu government to send a proposal to the MCI to accommodate the students in other government medical colleges. As there was no progress in the matter, the affected students moved the High Court again with the present petitions.
Their counsel H Rajasekar contended that the inordinate delay by the authorities concerned was causing serious hardship to the students.
When the judge observed that each day gave a new clinical experience for medical students, Central government standing counsel B Rabu Manohar submitted that the MCI recommendations had been received by the Union Ministry concerned and they were under process and the approval of the competent authority will be given within 15 days.
The judge, however, declined to grant 15 days’ time. He said time is running out for the students and they are put to unnecessary hardship despite being meritorious. In spite of the court order and approval by the appropriate authorities in due course, seeking 15 days time will be too long. Therefore, considering the interest of the students, it is appropriate to direct the Centre to pass orders on the recommendations of the MCI within a week, he said.
Accordingly, he directed the Centre to pass orders within a week and posted the matter for reporting compliance on February 22.