The dreams of 13 meritorious students to pursue medical education have been shattered for no fault of theirs. These students have been running from pillar to post to get their admission to first year undergraduate medical courses in the Father Muller Medical College in Mangaluru regularised for the past one year and to date, justice has eluded them.
A chain of events involving the Medical Council of India (MCI), Delhi High Court and Supreme Court and the High Court of Karnataka has landed the students in a state of uncertainty about their future.
It all started with the MCI reducing the intake of Fr. Muller Medical College from 150 to 100 students. The college was successful in getting a favourable order from the Delhi High Court which annulled the MCI decision to reduce the intake to 100.
In the light of the order of the Delhi High Court, the State government quota for medical admission for 2015-16 increased by another 13 seats out of the total 50 seats restored to Fr. Muller Medical College and these 13 seats were included in the seat matrix in the fourth and final round of counselling.
Seats surrendered
These 13 students, who after obtaining high ranks in the CET in 2015-16, originally got admitted to different medical colleges across the State based on merit ranking. When 13 seats were added to Fr. Muller’s, the students jumped at the opportunity and surrendered their seats in other medical colleges. But their hopes were dashed owing to a series of judicial decisions made in different courts.
Meanwhile, the MCI was successful in getting the decision of the Delhi High Court reversed through a review petition before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, while reversing the decision of the High Court, had sent the case back for a final order to the Delhi High Court. The case of reducing the seats to 100 from 150 is still pending in court.
Permission denied
The 13 students who were given provisional admission based on the first order of the Delhi High Court were denied permission to appear for the examinations and lost one academic year.
Their troubles did not end there. The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) did not permit them to appear for the 2016-17 CET for getting new admission on the plea that they were already enrolled in the medical course and could not appear for the CET second time.
More trouble
This forced the students to approach the High Court of Karnataka seeking relief and the court, in its order, partially upheld the plea of the students and asked the State government to admit them to the first year MBBS this year under the COMED-K quota.
This order has landed the students in deeper trouble. Most of the 13 students come from a poor background and find it impossible to pay nearly Rs. 6.5 lakh fee every year, if they are admitted under the COMED-K quota.
“Here ends my dream of making my son a doctor. How can I pay a fee of Rs. 6.5 lakh every year when my income for the year is just Rs. 4 lakh,” lamented the father of one student, who chose to remain anonymous.
