The 450-odd Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course students, seeking admission to the private unaided dental colleges of Punjab are in for more harrowing time. The recent action by the High Court to dismiss their legal plea, challenging the decision of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot by the students; has put them in a situation of perplex for the next 15 days. This group of students is now awaiting the final decision by the High Court, and the MCI to decide their fate of admission to the dental course offered by BFUHS.
The matter in crux is a legal plea filled by the students of not issuing registration numbers to them. BFUHS has earlier granted them admission, basis their qualifying results for class XIIth. However, in February, the university had issued orders to the dental colleges to refuse the grant of registration cards, and strike off their names. This decision was challenged by the students in the court.
Citing reasons which are legally grounded, the HC has stated the fact that these admissions are subject to All India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMET) or any other test conducted by the state. The final decision is now awaited after a thorough investigation of the matter by the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) in a 15 days’ time. The High Court is of the firm opinion that the prospect of these students has been put under stress, and the university will be liable to compensate the students for the valuable time and money lost in this case. The court has also stated that if the seats continue to be vacant, after the 15 days investigation by MCI, the admission could be done on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination.
The court stands firm on the legal grounds- basis the Clause 4 of the notification (which talks about filling seats on the basis of the qualifying examination) runs contrary to the revised BDS regulations, 2007, and Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.
