Delhi HC allows increase in medical seats for PG, UG courses in college run by Santosh Trust

Ukraine returned students: Delhi High Court has allowed the increase in the number of seats for various UG and PG courses in medical institute run and managed by Santosh Trust.

While many Ukraine returned medical students are looking for the option to continue their remaining medical studies in Indian medical colleges, Delhi High Court has allowed the increase in the number of seats in various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in a medical college being run and managed by Santosh Trust, formerly known as the Maharaji Educational Trust in the city.

The court was hearing a petition challenging the disapproval letters issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) rejecting the petitioners' request for grant of permission for increase of seats in the medical college in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (hereinafter referred to as 'MBBS') course as also in post-graduate courses of MS (Obstetrics & Gynaecology) and MS (Orthopaedics). 

The petitioner had also challenged the order dated December 22, 2021, vide which the respondents had directed an interim inspection of the said college for the continuation of its existing recognition for 100 MBBS seats.

Justice Rekha Palli has said several rescued Indian medical students who have returned from war-hit country Ukraine have also lost their seats in medical colleges.

The court has directed the NMC and other respondent authorities to provide permission to the college on the basis of the inspection report and to increase the seats from 4 to 7 in MS (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), from 3 to 7 in MS (Orthopaedics), and from 100 to 150 in the MBBS course.

The court said, "I, cannot also lose sight of the fact that on account of the lack of an adequate number of medical institutions providing quality affordable education to cater to the needs of the aspiring students, they are often compelled to make the choice of leaving behind their home country and pursuing their studies abroad. This reality has especially become a cause of concern at a time when due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, several thousand Indian medical students, who had gone to pursue their medical education in the now war-hit Ukraine have been rescued and brought home, have also lost their seats in medical colleges," as reported by Live Law.

NMC cannot be asked to lower prescribed standards

The court added, "There was no doubt NMC cannot be asked to lower the standards prescribed under the regulations. However, in a situation where it is found that an institute which has been running for the last more than 20 years is not lacking in any infrastructure and has also rectified the deficiencies which were found at the time of initial inspections, that too when the said deficiencies were only on account of the Covid pandemic, it would also be against public interest to deny permission to the petitioner to increase the seats."

"At a time when the ratio of medical profession as vis-a-vis the population of the country is abysmally low, an increase in the number of PG and UG seats would certainly contribute to the bigger goal of strengthening the medical infrastructure of the country."

"These directions are being issued only in the light of these peculiar facts, and by taking into account the fact that the petitioner institute has already missed the first two rounds of counselling, and any further delay at this stage would prevent it from participating even in the upcoming Mop-Up and Online Stray Vacancy rounds of counselling. The petitioner is therefore, granted permission to participate in the remaining rounds of counselling with the increased seats as noted hereinabove, without any further inspections" the court added further.

Read more:

• Ukraine Crisis: India examines medical education costs
• Facilitate further studies of Ukraine returned medical students: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi