‘Give details of PG medical seats surrendered from 2000’

Justice N Kirubakaran, while dealing with a batch of petitions including the one moved by Dr M Kamaraj, a medical aspirant, also directed the state to specify the number of seats surrendered, speciality-wise, since the year 2000. 

Also, pointing out that Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, which mandated sharing of PG seats in medical colleges on a 50-50 basis between the managements and government had not been struck down, he asked: “Therefore, all non-governmental institutions should have shared 50 per cent of the PG medical seats with their respective state governments, especially in Tamil Nadu. So, it has to be explained as to whether the Government of Tamil Nadu had got 50 per cent of PG medical seats from unaided institutions from 2000 onwards.” 

He also sought to know the total number of seats available (course wise and speciality-wise) in PG courses in each medical college in Tamil Nadu, including minority institutions and deemed universities each year, from 2000. 

The Judge also directed Medical Council of India (MCI) to file a reply as to whether the seat sharing between the non-governmental medical institutions and their respective state governments are being scrupulously followed every year? “If the seat-sharing has not been done by the non-governmental medical institutions concerned, what action has been taken against them? At the same time, if no action is taken, why no action was taken against the errant non-governmental medical institutions?” he asked.

The judge then asked the state as well as the Union government, along with the MCI, to file their counter-affidavits by April 3 since the PG medical counselling was scheduled to start on April 4. However, regarding the admission process, the Judge made it clear that the state government is at liberty to proceed with it as per law.