HC permits TN govt to publish MBBS/BDS merit list

Chennai, Jun 22 (UNI) The Madras High Court today permitted the Tamil Nadu Government to publish the merit list of candidates for admission to MBBS/BDS courses.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Mr Justice D Murugesan, however said that all further proceedings should be subject to further orders of this court.

While posting to July 4 hearing on the petition filed by a student, T Nithin, seeking admission to MBBS/BDS courses only on the basis of Common Entrance Test (CET), the bench also directed Advocate General R Viduthalai to submit two lists to the court, one containing the rank list based on the aggregate marks of both Plus Two Examination and CET and another based only on CET, on that day.

Originally, the bench after hearing arguments reserved orders for today. But, when the matter was taken up, Senior Counsel Nalini Chidambaram submitted that on a petition from one student, if any decision was taken, it would affect the student community as a whole. All along, the present system of taking aggregate marks of both Plus Two and CET was taken into view for determining merit.

Students were made to believe that Plus two examination would also be taken into account for determining merit for admission in professional courses. Suddenly, to say only CET would be taken into consideration was against principles of legitimate expectation, she added.

Mr Viduthalai said the present system was in vogue for over 20 years. Everytime, CET was the issue. The question of considering Plus Two Examination was never raised or decided by this court, he added.

Following this, the bench passed the interim order, and posted further hearing to July 4.

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