SFMCs can hold own entrance exam: HC

KOCHI: In a major relief to self-financing medical college managements, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted permission to the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association to proceed with its decision to conduct MBBS entrance examination in the colleges under it and to publish their results.However, the court restrained the managements from proceeding with the admission procedure.The High Court made it clear that further procedure will be subject to its decision.The examination will be held on Thursday.Justice Antony Dominic issued the interim order on a writ petition filed by P Amina Nahna of Kozhikode, whose name figured in the rank list prepared by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations on the basis of the state Common Entrance Examination.The court also criticised the supervisory committee(Justice PA Mohammed Committee) for delegating the power to conduct the examination to the association.“...delegating the committee’s power to conduct examination to the association is just like surrendering.Nothing was discussed at the meeting held by the committee about the proposal of the association to hold the test,” it observed.The petitioner had said that the entrance test by the association would not be fair and transparent.“The proposed entrance test is a farce.The examination is not being conducted under the supervision of the Admission Supervisory Committee.Therefore, the decision of the association is against Supreme Court orders,” the petitioner submitted.She added that the prospectus regarding the admission and entrance examination had not been approved by the committee.The association should have obtained the approval of the committee as per the Supreme Court directive, she said.Nahna added that if the allotment was made from the list prepared by the State Entrance Commissioner, she was likely to get admission in any one of the colleges under the association.“By conducting a farce entrance examination, only those who have paid the capitation fee in advance will find a place in the rank list,” she submitted.