KOCHI: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday fixed the time schedule for completing admission to medical seats in all self-financing medical colleges (SFMCs) and directed the Commissioner of Entrance Examination (CEE) to complete the admission process on August 31.The fee structure for the admission will be `5 lakh as fixed by the Justice R Rajendra Babu Committee. The bank guarantee and bond will also be in favour of CEE, the court said. The court made it clear the spot admission must be conducted in the presence of CEE, representatives of all the medical colleges, and it should be conducted on August 30 and 31 in the auditorium of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. “No seat will be left vacant after these procedures,” the court held.
In the judgment, the bench observed initially the CEE had conducted counselling only for government colleges. The second counselling was conducted on August 19. For some reason, a substantial number of seats were left vacant. The court ordered the first counselling should be completed on August 24 and the details of vacant seats notified on the website of CEE and all medical colleges to help students choose their options.
The second counselling should be completed by 4 pm on August 26 and, on the next day, CEE should prepare the allotment list. The CEE should be open for business on August 28 - a public holiday - to facilitate the admission pursuant to the allotment list made on the previous day, the court said.
Students should be given time till 4 pm on August 29 to complete their options. August 30 and 31 will be the dates for mopping up the admission through spot admission process and, after the procedures, no seat will be left vacant, the court held.
Spot admission should be conducted in the presence of the representatives of all the medical colleges at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The authorised representatives of all the colleges should be available to CEE at his place for the counselling process, the court said. The admission to the four colleges - Karuna, Kannur, Malabar and SUT medical college, where 450 seats are vacant - was also considered by the court. The court noted the colleges were not conducting admission as they have no affiliation for this year. Counsel for the Malabar Medical College submitted it has got a favourable interim order from the Single Judge permitting allotment. The university submitted the Vice-Chancellor would inform the CEE by August 24 regarding the affiliation of the four colleges. The commission will then include those colleges in the counselling, the court stated.
The court issued the order on the petitions relating to the new fee structure for MBBS and BDS seats in SFMCs in the state. The bench is also hearing a petition filed by a student against the order of the CEE directing the students seeking allotment to 35 per cent MBBS management seats in MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, and Dr Somervel Memorial CSI Medical College, Karakkonam, which had entered into a consensual agreement with the government to pay an interest-free refundable deposit of Rs 11 lakh and a bank guarantee of Rs 44 lakh in addition to the fee as prescribed.
Minister welcomes HC decision
T’Puram: Health Minister K K Shailaja on Tuesday welcomed the Kerala High Court’s decision to limit the tution fee in self-financing medical colleges in the state to Rs 5 lakh as recommended by the fee regulatory committee. The minsiter said the High Court took a stand favouring the state government with its fresh guidelines in the medical admission issue. “The court approved the Rs 5 lakh fee set by the fee regulatory committee while the government has also accepted the government’s stand regarding the bank guarantee and a fresh allottment,” Shailaja said.
“The court agreed to carry out the third allotment of seats on August 27 and 28 after the process of the second allotment is over by August 24. The allottment process for the academic year will be over by August 31 as promised by the government,” she said. “The court verdict is an approval for the state government’s sincerity on the issue and the students can be elated that the bank guarantee will be removed,” Shailaja said adding that reports that the court crticised the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations and state government are false.