Supreme Court Issues Notice on NMC’s Plea Against Rajasthan HC Order Allowing MBBS Seat Hike at JIET Medical College

Next hearing scheduled for March 17 as SC questions merit principle in admissions

The Supreme Court has issued a notice in response to the National Medical Commission's (NMC) plea challenging the Rajasthan High Court's refusal to intervene in the increase of MBBS seats from 50 to 100 at JIET Medical College, Jodhpur.

The case originated when MET Medical College applied for an intake of 150 students following a public notice. However, after an inspection by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), deficiencies were found, leading to the rejection of the college's establishment. An appeal against this decision was dismissed, but a second appeal resulted in permission for 50 MBBS seats. Seeking a further increase, the institution approached the Rajasthan High Court, where a single-judge bench issued an interim order allowing an intake of 100 seats. Admissions proceeded under this order, prompting the NMC to challenge it.

In December, a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Munnuri Laxman, heard an appeal by the Union of India, NMC, and MARB against the interim order. The bench expressed concerns over judicial interference in medical seat approvals, emphasizing that the Supreme Court had previously discouraged such interim orders. The court highlighted that granting additional medical seats without following due process could jeopardize students' futures, stating, "It is better to err on the side of caution and deny admission rather than leave students in uncertainty."

Despite acknowledging that the interim order should not have been issued, the High Court chose not to overturn it since admissions had already been completed. The division bench noted that "by the time this appeal was heard, the admission process and last date for admissions were over. Fifty students had already enrolled and begun their studies." Citing a Supreme Court precedent in Board of Governors in Supersession of Medical Council of India vs. Tirupati Balaji Educational Trust & Others, the High Court opted to let the single-judge bench decide the case while urging an expedited hearing.

Dissatisfied with this outcome, the NMC escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh questioned whether merit was followed in the admissions process. The NMC’s counsel clarified that all admissions were conducted through NEET counseling by the state authorities.

Observing that the High Court had directed a decision within a month but the case remained pending, the Supreme Court issued a notice and scheduled the next hearing for March 17.

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