MBBS admissions in Atal Medical university: SC stays Himachal HC decision to grant petitioner a seat
Thakur, who secured 508 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), argued that she should be granted admission on one of the vacated seats
The Supreme Court has issued an interim stay on the Himachal high court’s decision to grant admission to petitioner Sanjana Thakur in the MBBS programme at Atal Medical University, Mandi.
Thakur had petitioned the court that there two seats were vacated in the programme after fake documents of two candidates, Kartik Sharma and Shivani Sharma, were discovered.
Thakur, who secured 508 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), argued that she should be granted admission on one of the vacated seats. Riya Singh, who also scored 508 marks, had been admitted to the programme.
The university administration said that they had informed the court that they notified the National Medical Commission (NMC) on January 17 regarding the vacant seats. However, the MBBS programme had commenced in November 2022.
The high court bench, presided over the chief justice, had previously ruled in favour of Sanjana Thakur. The bench ordered the university and NMC to pay ₹2 lakh each in compensation for failing to grant admission to the petitioner.
The court imposed a fine of ₹10,000 each on the commission and the university and directed immediate admission of the petitioner into the MBBS programme.
The court emphasised that MBBS admissions had a final date of December 29, 2022, and due to the irresponsible conduct of the respondents, Sanjana Thakur had been unjustly denied admission.
A division bench of justice S Ravindra Bhatt and justice Arvind Kumar has issued notices to the respondents. The SC made it clear that the stay on MBBS admission orders will depend on the outcome of the pending petition. The case will now be heard on September 25.
