Supreme Court Orders Compensation and Future Admission in Medical PG Seat Dispute
The case at hand concerns a dispute over a postgraduate medical seat at Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Hyderabad. The petitioner, Mothukuru Sriyah Koumudi, was denied admission to the MS (General Surgery) program despite securing a merit-based allotment through the NEET PG 2020 examination. The National Medical Commission (NMC) and the medical college were taken to court over this denial.
Background of the Case
Mothukuru Sriyah Koumudi appeared for the NEET PG examination in 2020 and secured an All India Rank of 93,563 with 327 marks. She was provisionally allotted a seat in the MS (General Surgery) course at Kamineni Academy under the Management Quota during the Mop-up Phase (MQ)-P3 round of counseling. According to the allotment order, she had to report to the college by 4:00 PM on July 30, 2020, to complete her admission.
The petitioner claimed she visited the college on July 29 and 30, 2020, with her father to submit the required documents and pay fees. However, the college refused to complete her admission process. Subsequently, the last date for PG medical admissions was extended to August 30, 2020, by the Supreme Court. The petitioner attempted to meet the chairman of the college on August 7, 2020, but was not permitted.
High Court Proceedings
Faced with no alternative, the petitioner filed a writ petition in the Telangana High Court seeking a declaration that the college’s denial of admission was illegal. She also requested a directive to grant her admission to the MS (General Surgery) course.
The medical college argued in court that the university had set up a committee for verifying original documents, and the petitioner had not followed the process. However, in a contradictory statement, the college admitted that she and her father had visited on July 29, 2020, to inquire about the admission procedure and fees. The college claimed that she had not availed of her admission opportunity, and thus, the seat was given to another candidate on August 11, 2020.
High Court’s Judgment
The High Court ruled in favor of the petitioner, directing the National Medical Commission to create an additional MS (General Surgery) seat to accommodate her. The court found that the petitioner was more meritorious than the candidate who was eventually admitted and that the college had intentionally denied her admission. However, the High Court did not cancel the admission of the candidate who had been granted the seat on August 11, 2020.
Supreme Court’s Review
The National Medical Commission appealed the High Court’s decision, arguing that:
- The petitioner did not approach authorities in time to raise her grievance.
- The last date for admission had already passed by the time the High Court issued its directive.
- The High Court’s order to create an extra seat was contrary to the Supreme Court’s rulings that medical colleges cannot admit students beyond the sanctioned intake capacity.
Supreme Court’s Key Observations
The Supreme Court agreed with the High Court’s finding that the college had deliberately denied the petitioner admission. The judgment stated:
“There is no reason to believe that Respondent No.1 did not approach Respondent No.2-College for admission, especially after paying the University Fee on 29.07.2020.”
The Court also noted that the college’s contradictory statements about the petitioner’s visit undermined its defense.
Regarding the creation of an additional seat, the Supreme Court ruled:
“Admissions to Medical Colleges cannot be permitted to be made beyond the sanctioned annual intake capacity of a medical college as has been repeatedly held by this Court.”
Supreme Court’s Final Verdict
The Court ruled that while an additional seat could not be created, the petitioner should still receive relief. Following the precedent set in S. Krishna Sradha v. The State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors., the Court decided:
- The petitioner should be granted direct admission to the MS (General Surgery) course in the next academic year (2021-22).
- The admission should come from the management quota of Kamineni Academy.
- To compensate for the loss of a year, the college must pay the petitioner Rs. 10 lakhs within four weeks.
The Court emphasized:
“The Managements of the Medical Colleges are not expected to indulge in such illegalities in making admissions to Medical Courses.”
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s decision is a significant step in protecting student rights in medical admissions. It ensures that medical colleges cannot arbitrarily deny admissions to meritorious students. By ordering financial compensation and securing admission for the next academic year, the Court has set a precedent for accountability in medical education institutions.
Petitioner Name: Mothukuru Sriyah Koumudi.Respondent Name: National Medical Commission.Judgment By: Justice L. Nageswara Rao, Justice Hemant Gupta.Place Of Incident: Hyderabad, Telangana.Judgment Date: 07-12-2020.
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