Notice ordered to 7 medical colleges in Puducherry

A division bench, comprising Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice K Ravichandrabaabu, before whom the PIL moved by advocate V B R Menon came up for hearing on Thursday, ordered notice to the Centre, Puducherry Government and the seven medical colleges, namely, Arupadai Veedu Medical College, Vinayaga Mission Medical College, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Sri Venkateshwara Medical College and Research Centre and Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, returnable by January 22.

In his plea, Menon had contended that several illegalities have been committed in the admissions of students to the postgraduate medical and MBBS courses by the seven colleges during the academic year 2016-17 and 2017-18, with complete disregard for the relevant statutory provisions and directions by the Supreme Court.

Noting that through their fraudulent and devious acts the colleges have brought down the standard and the high standing of medical education to a contemptuously low level, the petitioner said there has been repeated raids at all the colleges and FIRs registered by the CBI, based on complaints received from the students and their parents, who have been seriously affected due to the illegalities. He also submitted that MCI has ordered discharge of 85 illegally admitted PG medical students and 778 MBBS students from the seven colleges recently.