'Timely decision critical to protect students' interest'

'Timely decision critical to protect students' interest'
REPORT IN LOKMAT NEWSPAPER TODAY
Colleges use this as an opportunity to charge capitation fees teena thacker

The Medical Council of India (MCI) which is defending the matter before the Supreme Court is of the opinion that a timely decision is important to protect the interest of students. "The students have been very disappointed. We all want a decision one way or the other soon so that students can plan their future in a better way," Dr K.K. Talwar, chairman. Board of Governor, Medical Council of India. 
The stay by the court has, in fact, led to a delay in the whole admission process as the PG admissions have to be completed by July. This year, however, it will have to be extended as the admission process will only start after the judgment is pronounced. "By this time the placement starts. The course starts from May. There is so much of uncertainty now," said Dr Talwar.
The whole admission process,-which includes two rounds of counselling, takes at least three months to be completed. Therefore, if the judgment is pronounced in May or July, the deadline for the admission process will have to be changed.
It has also been noted that hiding under the SC stay, some institutions which are otherwise neither linguistic nor religious minority, have notified their own admission procedure in violation of Neet regulations. The main issue before the SC is that of minority institutions and minority candidates.
"These institutions have used this blanket as an opportunity to carry on illegal sale of seats by way of capitation fee. The final call has to be taken by the court. But the students' interest should be the utmost priority," Dr Talwar further said.
Agitated students feel that with less than 5 per cent of the total seats available in the country running in minority institutions, the stay could be vacated for the rest of the institutions so that at least 91,000 candidates and more than 350 medical institutions are saved from continuous suffering. "There have been media reports that came out recently on the menace of capitation fee. Neet is one of the effective ways to prevent it. The students will be selected on merit. The whole purpose of starting the single entrance test was to end this menace," he said.
The Supreme Court has been postponing the hearing of the Neet-PG 2013 case, leaving the students high and dry.
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