Edu-leaders

The Delhi High Court has questioned the Delhi University (DU) on a plea challenging an allegedly discriminatory residence criterion it laid down for candidates seeking admission to its MBBS course.

The petition was filed by three women who had cleared the DU Medical-Dental Entrance Test 2011, but were denied admission because they did not fulfil the prescribed conditions related to place of residence for appearing in the test.

The petitioners alleged that no information regarding the criteria of admission was provided to them and even the bulletin of information-2011, issued by the university, did not specify that only citizens of Delhi could take admission to MBBS course with hostel facility.

Besides the university, Justice M.L. Mehta, on July 1, also issued notice to the union health ministry and the MCI and sought their response by today.

"The omission of the university to prescribe residence requirements for admission to the MBBS course 2011-12 is in violation of the law laid down by the Supreme Court," said the petition.

The petitioners sought a direction to the DU to consider their admission to the MBBS course in any of its affiliated colleges.

"A direction should be issued to the MCI, the health ministry and the university to forthwith prescribe a uniform and non-discriminatory policy for the entrance test for MBBS course," the petition said.

"The MCI framed the Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, which were conspicuously silent of any provision with regard to allocation of seats amongst the selected candidates on the basis of residence," the petition added.

Source: igovernment