Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 01:
In a significant ruling a Division Bench of the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a petition filed by five candidates who had insisted on accommodating them to pursue MBBS/BDS course.
The Court had on September 27 intimated its ruling to the State Government for entertaining five candidates either from the current session or next year, confided a source.
The five candidate/petitioners had contended that they ought to be allowed to fill the vacant seats as candidates for the ST/wards of ex-servicemen and meritorious sportspersons seats failed to attain the minimum requisite mark during the MBBS/BDS entrance examination 2003/04 conducted by the State Government on June 29, 2003.As the reserved candidates could not fulfill the criteria eligible candidates from among the general category need to the entertained the petitioners prayed in their complaint.
Mention may be made that candidates who appeared for the reserved categories could not attain the 40 percent aggregate mark as prescribed under the MBBS/BDS Entrance Examination Rule 2003 and the result had to be declared with the reserved seats left vacant.
Owing to outcry from the ST students community the State Government lowered the qualification mark to 29 percent and consequently nominated ST candidates which was opposed by general category candidates by filing a case in the Gauhati High Court.
Inspite of the court favouring the petitioners the same also insisted upon the State for approval from the Medical Council of India (MCI) on the mark lowering decision.
Even as the State Government decision was turned down by the MCI other writ appeals were filed in the Division bench of the same court challenging the Single bench ruling.