Varsity to withhold results of Med students

Mumbai, Sep 27 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today authorised institutions running medical colleges to withhold results of their students for not paying their respective fees as recommended by the Shulka Nirdharan Samitee and also ordered the university of health sciences not to issue marksheets or degree certificates to them, if they fail to pay their dues within the time stipulated by the court.

While clarifying its earlier interim order, passed on a group of petitions filed by students from many medical colleges and institutions running medical colleges, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud directed petitioning students to pay their respective fees in three equal instalments starting from September 30.

The court has treated this deadlline as the last chance given to the erring students for clearing their dues and authorised the institutions to withhold their results and directed the university not to issue their marksheets or passing certificates, if they fail to abide by this deadline.

As an interim arrangement made by the court, all medical students will now have to pay fees as fixed by the Shulka Nirdharan Samitee for the year 2007-08 for their respective college.

The court also clarified that, in case students succeed in court, the institutions will have to refund excess amounts received from them with interest of 9 per cent per annum.

Medical students from many colleges moved the High Court saying that fees as fixed by the Samitee were exorbitant, whereas many institutions running medical colleges too, filed petitions contending that the fees were too meagre to run medical colleges.

The court has now fixed the matter for final hearing on October 15.

UNI