AP HC backs plea to fill 76 seats in medical colleges in special stray round

Vijayawada:Andhra Pradesh High Court has said it is appropriate to fill the 76 seats in medical colleges based on merit. It posted the next hearing of a writ petition, filed by four medical students, to Nov. 26.

A two-judge division bench of Justice G Narendar and Justice M Kiranmayee heard the case on Monday.

Notably, the National Medical Commission has increased the number of seats for MBBS course by 25 for the Konaseema Medical College and 50 for the Kurnool Viswabharathi Medical College after the filling up of sanctioned seats through the specified rounds of counselling by the NTR University of Health Sciences in AP.

The four students who took admission to MBBS and BDS courses in various colleges filed a lunch motion in the high court challenging the directions of the NTR university of health sciences to conduct a ‘special stray vacancy round’ to fill up the newly created 75 seats.

Petitioners’ counsel Yaragorla Tagore submitted that two of the four petitioners took admission for MBBS course under management quota, while two more joined the BDS course.

He argued that as they were not allowed to take part in the counselling for the special stray vacancy round, those students who secured less ranks in the NEET compared to the petitioners, were getting an opportunity for allotment of seats.

Counsel also argued that a special stray vacancy round was supposed to be held to fill up vacant seats after completion of all rounds of counselling. He ruled out any chance of filling up the increased number of seats under such counselling.

He appealed to the court to give meritorious students an opportunity to attend the special counselling.

NTR University of Health Sciences’ counsel TV Sridevi pointed out that the regular counselling was over. NMC had given permission to fill up the increased number of seats by conducting a special round of counselling, she said.

However, the court observed that it would be appropriate to give an opportunity to those who were qualified in the NEET to take part in the special round of counselling.

The court said it is appropriate to fill up of one more vacancy in the Kurnool government medical college under the special round of counselling.