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The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a medical college in Telangana to pay a compensation of ₹10 Lakh and a seat for the next academic year, for illegally denying admission to a student.
The order came while the Division Bench comprising of Justice L Nageshwar Rao and Hemant Gupta was hearing the case of Mothukuru Sriyah Koumudi, who had applied for a postgraduate course in surgery at Hyderbad's Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre. She had secured All India Rank-93563 with 327 marks in the NEET examination, reported a Bar and Bench.
Koumudi was asked to report to the college on July 29 and 30, which was the last date of the admission process. Even though she visited the college with her parents, and finished all the formalities, her application was not taken forward. Later, another candidate, below her merit list, was granted admission.
Meanwhile, the admission date in postgraduate medical colleges was extended to August 30, as per the top court's directions. Although she made an attempt to meet the chairman of the college on August 7, she was not permitted to meet him.
Koumudi then approached the Telangana High Court, challenging the refusal of admission. The High Court directed the National Medical Commission (earlier Medical Council of India) to create or sanction one seat in MS, General Surgery. Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre was directed to grant her the admission for the next academic year (2021-2022).
The National Medical Commission then approached the apex court, challenging the HC order of sanctioning one seat, stating that additional seats cannot be created in such a fashion. However, the court complied with HC's order, as the college was at fault for not taking the admission process forward, despite the candidate completing formalities on time.
"The manner in which Respondent No.2-College acted in depriving admission to Respondent No.1 and giving admission to Respondent No.5 s deplorable. The management of the medical colleges are not expected to indulge in such illegalities in making admissions to medical courses," the court said in its judgment.
The court said the student had suffered a loss of one precious academic year for no fault of hers and directed the college to pay the said compensation within a period of four weeks from the date of order.
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