SC declines to interfere with Lodha panel order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with an order passed by the apex court-appointed oversight committee (OC) led by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha granting approvals to 26 new medical colleges for the academic year 2016-17. A bench of Justices Anil R. Dave and L. Nageswara Rao, while dismissing the petition filed by whistle blower Dr Anand Rai, said that the petitioner can submit a representation to the committee giving suggestions which would be considered and appropriate orders passed.

In a brief order, the bench, after hearing senior counsel Parag Tripathi for the petitioner and senior counsel Vikas Singh for the Medical Council of India (MCI), said that since counselling for medical admissions to private medical colleges through the NEET examination had already commenced on September 3, it did not want to interfere in the interests of the students seeking admission. Mr Tripathi said since the colleges did not have infrastructure or faculty, they should be asked to give a video presentation on the facilities available and an inspection by MCI can be conducted in two or three days. He said that the committee — which also comprises Professor (Dr) Shiv Sareen and Vinod Rai — had over-stepped its given job of monitoring the work of the MCI and had taken over the role and powers of the Central government.

He alleged that the committee overshot MCI and the health ministry’s disapproval of hundreds of applications made by medical colleges without conducting any “fresh” inspection or assessment.

Mr Singh supported the petitioner’s stand and explained how the committee, based on misleading information, had directed all the colleges which were not given permission, to re-apply for being considered for another confirmation.