70:30 quota: State Govt''s circular on medical admission challenged in High Court

Aurangabad, Sept 25:

Four independent petitions challenging the state government''s circular stating cancellation of 70:30 quota in medical admission process have been filed in the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court. The hearing upon the petitions will be held on October 6.

The bench comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice S D Kulkarni granted two weeks to the respondent - the state government - to submit its say in the court.

According to petitioners, the admission process has been cancelled by issuing the circular suddenly on September 7. No prior intimation was given to the students. Under 70:30 formula, if aspirant is eligible for admission then preferably, he is allotted the college close to his residence. For the last six months, the students are confused in terms of Covid-19 pandemic situation. Besides, they prepared for the test as per the 70: 30 formula. They claimed that the decision had been taken in a hurry to gain political mileage. The petitioners underlined that the state government, in 2016, had supported 70: 30 quota admissions, in the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court.

Hence the circular should be scrapped, and the medical admission process should be done as per 70: 30 quota only, stated the petitioners.

Adv Shivraj KAdu Patil and Adv Aniket Chaudhary, Adv A G Ambetkar, Adv Ketan D Pote and Adv V R Dhorde pleaded on behalf of the petitioners, while chief government pleader D R Kale, assistant government pleader M A Deshpande, S G Karlekar and S B Yawalkar represented the state government.