Kerala defends decision for fresh entrance

The State government informed the Kerala High Court on Friday that if the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association withdrew from the seat-sharing agreement with the government, the self-financing medical colleges under the association would have to fill their management seats either from the rank list of a fresh entrance test or from the rank list published on the basis of the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate) examination.

In an affidavit, the government said that if the management backed off from the agreement, it would become null and void and any rights or benefits accrued by way of the agreement also got nullified. The association conducted its entrance test on the basis of the agreement.

The affidavit was filed in response to a writ petition filed by the association challenging an order of the Admission Supervisory Committee for Professional Colleges, headed by former judge J.M. James, cancelling the entrance examination held by the association for admission to MBBS management seats.

The government said that when the committee cancelled the examination and requested the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations to conduct a fresh entrance test, the government thought it appropriate to issue a directive to the commissioner to hold a fresh examination.

The association contended that its entrance test was conducted strictly in accordance with the requirements of law and the principles laid down by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The committee’s decision to get a fresh entrance examination for the MBBS management quota seats was arbitrary. In fact, the entrance test was conducted under the supervision of the committee. Anirudhan, an observer appointed by the committee, had reported that the examination was conducted fairly and in a transparent manner.

The association said that it was withdrawing from the agreement as it did not have any validity in view of the cancellation of a test conducted by the association while surrendering 50 per cent of the seats to be filled up by the government.