SC issues interim stay on High Court order

CUTTACK: The controversy over the PG Medical admissions in the State has taken a new turn with the Supreme Court issuing an interim stay on the Orissa High Court’s order for admitting in-service candidates on the basis of a combined merit list of 2011 and 2012. The apex court bench of Justice H L Dattu and Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad has issued the interim stay on the para nine of the Orissa High Court order which directed the Medical Selection Committee to draw up a “combined merit ranking list of 45 in-service candidates of 2012 and respondent students of the earlier year and admit them in the PG Course of 2012”. While the Selection Committee had accordingly drawn up a combined merit list of the 45 in-service candidates of 2012 and 27 candidates from 2011, the issue had raised a furore and even disrupted the counselling process. The in-service candidates of 2012 opposed the combined merit list stating that their ranks had been shaken and they were deprived of the subjects of their choices.  The haste shown by the Medical PG Selection Committee in publishing the combined merit list on the very day of the counselling on April 19 had come in for stiff resistance, resulting in its postponement. However, the counselling was held again on April 21 and the selected candidates were directed to attend classes from May 2. Aggrieved in-service candidates Sujit Kumar Lenka and 14 others had filed a petition in the apex court challenging the High Court order and the admission process. They argued that they were made victims of no fault of theirs as they had lost the opportunity to pursue their choice of subject as per their original ranks due to the combined merit list. The Supreme Court bench has also issued notice to the State Government on the matter.  While the interim stay has been issued, the fate of the admissions and continuance of classes have come under question. “We believe that the stay on the High Court order has its implications on the entire counselling and admission process. We have submitted the Supreme Court order to the DMET and sought action in accordance with it”, Lenka said.