SC grants 6 weeks to Union, State Govts to solve SC/ST problems

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) The Supreme Court today granted six weeks time to the Union Government, State Governments and Medical Council of India (MCI) to find a solution to the problems of SC and ST candidates regarding admission to professional courses.

The apex court has directed them to obtain a way to remove the difficulty of SC and ST candidates, who want the abolition of entrance test for admission in professional courses like medical sciences on the grounds that they were in a position of disadvantage as compared to General category candidates.

Petitioner Parth Keyur Parikh has prayed to the apex court that the Kerala Government should be directed to give admission to such candidates on the basis of their performance in CBSE, since they were not getting selected in the entrance test because of lack of coaching facilities. The candidates from upper castes were being selected because of best coaching facilities available to them, the petitioner added.

According to the petitioner, they were denied admission to those courses despite getting higher marks in CBSE as compared to General category candidates.

The Supreme Court issued notices to Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra governments along with the Centre and MCI.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, who appeared for UGC, contended before a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam that the Government will try to provide better coaching facilities to SC and ST candidates.

However, he was opposed to the demand of abolition of Common Entrance Test.

UNI SC GL RP AS1619