Start admissions of MBBS students: Himachal HC to MMMC

Shimla, Sept 20 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh High Courttoday directed the principal of a private medical college hereto admit MBBS aspirants as per the list issued by thecounselling committee. Maharshi Markendeshwar Medical College (MMMC) in Solanhad allegedly denied admission to 150 MBBS students undergovernment quota over demand of fee hike. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor AhmadMir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed the order on apetition filed by Arushi Thakur on the issue of fee revisionin MMMC. However, the high court commanded the petitioners toexecute an undertaking before the court, that in case the feeis enhanced or revised, they shall have to pay the revised feefrom this academic session. The bench directed the respondent to file reply bySeptember 26 and listed the case for October 3 next. The college management, which is charging Rs 5 lakh peryear for the seats under government quota as against Rs 50,000charged by three government medical colleges in the state, hadrequested for a further hike in the fee and refused the admitthe students for MBBS session (2016-17). However, the government had turned down the request,saying no changes can be made in the fee structure aftercounselling and publication of the prospectus. The government had asked the college to admit MBBSstudents against 50 per cent government quota seats and 50 percent management quota seats, but the MMMC remained defiantand students approached the high court. The list of the counselling committee, headed by DirectorMedical Education and Research K P Chowdhary, has the names ofthe MBBS aspirants to be admitted by the college. MMMC was permitted to admit the fourth batch of 150MBBS students by the Union government on the recommendationsof Medical Council of India (MCI), but the college did notabide by the directions of the government to get affiliationfrom Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and continued tofunction as consequent college of Maharshi MarkendeshwarUniversity in violation of clause 7 of the Act under which theuniversity was set up. This clause bars the university from affiliating anycollege. PTI PCL IKA SCIKA