Miscellaneous
Apex court postpones hearing by five days
The Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed hearing by five days on a case against doctors who were enrolled in postgraduate programmes arbitrarily.The Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed hearing by five days on a case against doctors who were enrolled in postgraduate programmes arbitrarily.
Two writ petitions have been filed by the students of National Medical College, Birgunj and Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa, claiming that the merit list published by the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine (IoM) will put their future and investment at stake.
A division bench of Justices Bishwombher Prasad Shrestha and Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada decided to hear both the writs on July 9.
Experts worry that the lingering process might affect the academic calendar. If the students on the merit list are not enrolled by July 18, they will have to wait for another six months for postgraduate study.
According to the IoM rule, the medical colleges affiliated to the TU should compulsorily admit students within 35 days after the classes begin. This year, the classes started on May 28 so the two affiliated colleges had to enrol students by June 30. However, given the controversy over the admission process, the IoM made a special decision to allow admissions until July 18.
“This is a crucial moment for the Supreme Court to institutionalise a merit-based admission process. Even a slight deviation from merit will set a wrong precedence while private medical colleges can exploit the decision in the coming years,” said Dr Jiwan Kshetry, an activist for reforms in medical education.
According to him, owners of the medical colleges are lobbying for increasing the quotas for postgraduate programmes so that they can accommodate more meritorious students.
The issue came to the fore after Universal and National colleges admitted students with low entrance test marks.
A week ago, a single bench of Acting Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli ordered the colleges to strictly follow the merit-based admission process.