SC rejects plea contending Lodha committee went beyond mandate in monitoring MCI

Declining to hear the petition any further, the hon'ble asked the petitioner to give representation to the committee itself.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard a plea contending that the top court-appointed oversight committee, headed by former Chief Justice RM Lodha, was going beyond its mandate of monitoring the work of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The petition was filed by Vyapam whistleblower Anand Rai, who has alleged that the committee overshot MCI and the Health Ministry's disapproval of hundreds of applications made by medical colleges without conducting any "fresh" inspection or assessment.

Rai contended that Justice Lodha committee gave permission to 140 medical colleges to take admission without assessing their facilities. The Supreme Court asked the petitioner to give representation to the committee itself.

Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Anil R Dave, in a judgement in May 2016, had set up a three-member committee, headed by Justice Lodha, to oversee the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) for at least a year.