EWS quota in PG medical courses: HC allows pleas in SC to be withdrawn

The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday allowed petitioners challenging the application of 10% quota for the economically weaker section (EWS) to medical admissions for 2019-20 to withdraw their pleas in the Supreme Court (SC).

Senior advocate Satish Talekar, who was appearing on behalf of petitioners Dr Angad Ranadive and four others, told a bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre that the current petition had been filed to oppose the government resolution accepting the provisions of the EWS amendment and the resolution of the Medical Education and Drugs department to implement the quota in its entirety.

The petition stated the quota overlooked the provisions of the Maharashtra University Health Sciences Act, 1998, which allows additional reservation only once it is published in the gazette at least six months before commencement of the new academic year.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) decided to apply the quota to its postgraduate courses from 2020-2021, but the state went beyond the MCI, said the plea.

When the high court bench pointed out that a petition on similar issues was pending in the Supreme Court, Talekar sought permission to move the petition for hearing on interim relief after the petition in the Supreme Court was withdrawn.

First Published: Apr 04, 2019 14:09 IST