AP HC Favours Merit-Based MBBS Admissions on Plea Challenging Special Stray Round for Newly Added Seats
Vijayawada: While considering a plea challenging the decision of NTR University of Health Sciences to hold a special stray vacancy round to fill up the 75 seats that were added to Andhra Pradesh's seat matrix later by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Andhra Pradesh High Court said that it was appropriate to fill these 75 seats and one vacant seat at Kurnool Government Medical College based on merit.
After hearing the case filed by four medical students, who after being admitted to management quota seats were denied permission to participate in the stray vacancy round, the division bench of the High Court comprising Justices G Narendar and M Kiranmayee posted the matter for further hearing.
Earlier, the National Medical Commission (NMC) increased 25 MBBS seats at Konaseema Medical College and 50 MBBS seats at Kurnool Viswabharathi Medical College. These seats were added to the seat matrix after the sanctioned seats were filled through the specified rounds of counselling by the NTR University of Health Sciences.
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As per the latest media report by Deccan Chronicle, the four petitioner students were admitted to MBBS and BDS courses in various colleges. However, the University's decision to hold a special stray vacancy round for these newly added 75 MBBS seats, they filed a motion in the high court.
The counsel for the petitioner Yaragorla Tagore submitted that two of the four petitioners were admitted to the MBBS course under the management quota and two others joined the BDS course.
He contended that the petitioners were not allowed to participate in the counselling for the special stray vacancy round and those students who secured lesser marks in the NEET, compared to the petitioners, were getting the chance to get allotted these seats.
Further, the counsel argued that a stray vacancy round was supposed to be held to fill up the vacant seats after completion of all the rounds of counselling. He ruled out that any chance of filing up the increased number of seats under such counselling, and appealed to the court to give an opportunity to the meritorious students to attend the special counselling.
On the other hand, the counsel for NTR University of Health Sciences, TV Sridevi pointed out that the regular counselling was over and NMC had given permission to fill up the increased number of seats by conducting a special round of counselling.
However, while considering the matter, the HC bench observed that it would be appropriate to give an opportunity to those who were NEET qualified to participate in the special round of counselling.
Further, the HC Division bench observed that it would be appropriate to fill up one more vacancy at Kurnool GMC under the special round of counselling.
