VIJAYAWADA: In a relief to two medicos who got admission to postgraduate courses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at New Delhi and Jodhpur, the vacation bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday directed the authorities of NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, and the principals of medical colleges concerned in Andhra Pradesh to return the original certificates to the students so that they can pursue their studies.
The court made it clear to the authorities that they should return the certificates only after payment of Rs 3 lakh by the petitioners as per GO 67, which stipulates that any student who does not take admission after getting a seat in a medical college in the State, should pay the amount.
The bench comprising Justice SV Bhatt and Justice Shameem Akther was passing this order on petitions filed separately by Dr P Madhuri from Guntur and Dr Siva Sumanth from Krishna district, seeking directions to the authorities for return of their original certificates submitted at the time of admission to post-graduate medical course in Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam and Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada, respectively.
Madhuri cleared the NEET for PG medical admissions and got a seat in Andhra Medical College. Later, she took PG entrance test for admission in AIIMS, Delhi and got 33rd rank at all India level. She then urged the authorities for return of her original certificates to take admission in AIIMS.
As for Sumanth, he got PG seat in Siddhartha Medical College through NEET. In May this year, he wrote AIIMS entrance test and got 121st rank at all India level. He then approached the authorities for return of his original certificates for admission in AIIMS at Jodhpur.
The counsel for the petitioners told the court that his clients were ready to pay Rs 3 lakh as per the government order. As per GO 67, there was a three year ban for writing the entrance test for the students who leave their seats once getting admission in a college. However, the authorities were not ready to return the certificates though the petitioners were ready to pay the said amount, he pointed out.
Taking these contentions into consideration, the bench observed that there was no scope for the petitioner candidates to write the entrance test again within three years since they got opportunity for admission in AIIMS. Besides, they were ready to pay the specified amount in accordance with the government order, it noted.
The bench directed the university registrar and the principals concerned to forthwith return the original certificates after receiving the said amount from the petitioners.
