KERALA

Cancel admissions of 180 students: SC tells 2 Kerala medical colleges

Admissions to Kannur Medical College and Karuna Medical College were deemed illegal

SC orders to cancel admissions of 180 students in two Kerala medical colleges [File] The Supreme Court bench said the bill passed by the Kerala government was unlawful | PTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Kerala government to cancel the admissions of 180 students to the Kannur Medical College in Kannur and Karuna Medical College in Palakkad. The order is a major setback for the state government which had passed the Kerala Professional Colleges (Regularisation of Admission in Medical Colleges) Bill 2018 on Wednesday to regularise certain admissions made in 2016-2017.

The Medical Council of India, along with two other official panels, had deemed the admissions illegal. The MCI then filed a petition in the apex court questioning the ordinance issued by the government.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra and U.U. Lalith, said that the two colleges had admitted students in flagrant violation of norms.

“The Medical College Admission Regularisation bill passed unanimously by the ruling party and the opposition in the assembly on Wednesday infringed the law,” the bench noted.

The state government had requested to delay the proceedings on the petition filed by MCI but it was rejected by the Supreme Court. The government brought the legislation so as to not victimise the students.

The bill was tabled by Health Minister K.K. Shaylaja. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also said that they were supporting the legislation considering the students' future.