Knowledge of biological sciences at “the heart of eligibility” for MBBS admission: SC

The Supreme  Court upheld the judgement of the Telangana High Court which had allowed a student's contention of denying MBBS admission by  Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences.

In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court has said that prior knowledge of senior secondary level biology or biological sciences along with practical knowledge of the English language is must for MBBS admission. The Apex Court came with the judgment on eligibility criteria for MBBS admission while hearing a petition filed by the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences challenging a decision of the Telangana High Court.

“The substance of the eligibility requirement indeed is that the candidate should have qualified an Intermediate level examination or first year of a graduate course, and studied the subjects of physics, chemistry and biology at this level, along with practical testing in these subject areas, and the English language. This subject matter requirement is at the heart of eligibility to be admitted into the medical course,” the court said.

However, a Bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat has upheld the High Court’s decision. Setting aside the High Court order, the Apex Court said that “MBBS primarily if not predominantly, involves prior knowledge — both theoretical and practical, of senior secondary level in biology or biological sciences”.

Justice Bhat, who wrote the recent judgment, referred to Regulation 4 of the Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical Education of 1997, which stipulates that the eligibility criteria for admission to MBBS course stipulated that a candidate should have “undergone study at the 10+2 stage, [or in the Intermediate course) in the specified subjects of physics, chemistry and biology/bBio-technology”.