Continue college in less polluted Kolhapur: Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rejected a petition filed by a medical student seeking a transfer from Kolhapur medical college to one of the colleges in Pune or Mumbai on grounds that she suffered from asthma and climate in Kolhapur was not conducive for her. Court held that both cities were more polluted than Kolhapur, which would only harm her. The student was 37th on the merit list for transfer to one of the nine vacant seats in colleges in Pune or Mumbai and had failed to secure one, hence the petition.

A division bench comprising of Justices B. R. Gavai and B. P. Colabawalla was hearing a writ petition filed by Janki Shende, a first year student of Government Medical College, Kolhapur, seeking a transfer in the open category to any of the five colleges she opted for in Pune or Mumbai due to health reasons. The petitioner prayed that since she had not managed a transfer, the court should direct the Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to do so. After hearing the petition and DMER’s reply, the court stated that  authority had observed the criteria of merit and since the student was 37th in the list of merit for the nine vacant seats, there was nothing wrong in the state not giving her the desired transfer.  

The HC said that  both Pune and Mumbai were more polluted than Kolhapur, and hence rejected the petition.