HC Relief to candidates, Govt told to Revise Sports Quota ranks for MBBS Seats

Bengaluru: Providing relief to 18-year-old National level diving champion, the Karnataka High Court has recently issued directions to the Department of Youth Services and Sports to revise the ranking list involving the petitioner and three others regarding their eligibility for admission to undergraduate medical courses under the sports quota.

After revising the ranking list, the Department of Youth Services and Sports has been directed to submit the list to the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).

Besides, the division bench of Justices Alok Aradhe and S Vishwajith Shetty has also asked KEA to make sure that the admission to the candidates based on their rank positions in the list prepared by the department.

The HC order comes while considering a plea by Aditi Dinesh Rao, who is a 18-year-old diving champion. Although she had joined BDS course under protest, she had also approached the court and challenged the admissions granted to Sathwik Shivanand, SR Prathima and Khushi M Hombal (all chess players) under the sports quota.

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, the counsel for Aditi, MP Srikanth referred to the court about the fact that the rank list got altered by the authorities. In this regard, he also submitted that the authorities had altered the list while relying upon the opinion  that chess is an international game. In fact, Aditi was not even given a chance of hearing.

Further, the counsel submitted that Aditi won several medals, while the same was not true for three other concerned candidates. On the other hand, the counsel for the State argued that Aditi had delayed approaching the court.

While considering the matter, the HC bench partly allowed Aditi's petition. The bench also clarified that the eligibility criteria under the sports quota makes it very clear that candidates who represented the country in international events/championships or have participated in the national-level championships, should have secured medals/cups at such events.

The bench observed in this context, "It is not in dispute that the petitioner has secured four gold, three silver and one bronze medal in the national diving championship conducted by Swimming Federation of India, whereas there is no material on record to show that respondents 3 to 5 (the three chess players) have secured any medal or cup in any event organised by the All India Chess Federation or the School Games Federation of India, which are recognised national sports federations..."

Therefore, the bench opined that just because the other three candidates participated in national and international championships, conducted by various private organisations, they do not immediately fall within the eligibility criteria for sports quota.

Opining that the committee has failed to consider this aspect of the matter, the bench further added in the order, "The material on record would go to show that in the first list of ranking issued by respondent no. 2 (department of youth services and sports), the petitioner was assigned 10th rank, whereas in the revised list, respondents 3 to 5 were placed ahead of her and she was placed in 16th rank..."

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