Can’t give seats to students from other states in Maharashtra medical colleges, government tells Bombay HC
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The State Government on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it cannot allow students from other states to take admissions in private unaided medical and dental colleges in Maharashtra. The government made the argument citing that most other states also have a similar policy which restricts students from Maharashtra from seeking admission in their medical colleges.
Acting Advocate General Rohit Deo told the bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice MS Sonak that most states, including Maharashtra, enacted legislations last year which make it compulsory for students seeking admission in medical colleges to pass their state board exams or produce a domicile certificates.
While justifying the rules framed by Maharashtra government, which restricted students from other states to seek admission in medical colleges without fulfilling the aforementioned conditions, Deo argued that students from Maharashtra are not allowed to take admission under All India Quota in at least 10 states.
Deo also said that National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) Regulations state that the admissions shall be subject to policy of the respective states and union territories where the institutions are located, adding that in some states like Delhi and Gujarat almost all medical seats are reserved for local students.
The Advocate General was responding to multiple petitions challenging certain provisions framed under provisions of the Maharashtra Unaided Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015.
A petition filed by Mahatma Gandhi Vidya Mandir Trust, which runs a dental college in Nashik, also challenged the rule which made domicile certificate mandatory for seeking admission in colleges.
In response, Deo stated that domicile has been the basis of admission since 1955 and the state is entitled to reserve 85 percent seats in private unaided medical and dental colleges for Maharashtra students. The remaining 15 percent can be used by the college to grant admissions to students from outside the state or country.
The further hearing has been set for Friday, when the decision on the matter is likely to be taken.
