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PETITIONER: P.K. GOEL AND ORS.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: U.P. MEDICAL COUNCIL AND ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT15/05/1992

BENCH: KASLIWAL, N.M. (J) BENCH: KASLIWAL, N.M. (J) SHARMA, L.M. (J)

CITATION:  1992 AIR 1475            1992 SCR  (3) 363  1992 SCC  (3) 232        JT 1992 (3)   508  1992 SCALE  (1)1120

ACT:      Education-Admission   to  Professional   Colleges-Post- Graduate   Medical  Courses-Combined  Entrance   Examination conducted-Clause  G(ii)  of  guidelines  issued  by  Lucknow University-Merit   list   prepared   college-wise   out   of institutional  candidates-Combined merit list not  prepared- Whether  discriminatory and violative of Article 14  of  the Constitution.      Constitution of India, 1950:      Article   14-Post-Graduate   Medical   Courses-Combined entrance examination conducted-Merit list prepared  college- wise-Combined merit list not prepared-Whether discriminatory and violative of.

HEADNOTE:      A combined Entrance Examination was held for  admission to  all  the seven Medical Colleges in the  State  of  Uttar Pradesh.  However,  the seats were filled as  per  admission rules on the basis of a merit list prepared for each Medical College  out  of  the  institutional  candidates  from  that College.   This  has been done as per clause  G(ii)  of  the guidelines issued by the Lucknow University.      The  petitioners, who appeared in the combined  Entrace Examination have challenged in the present Writ Petition the validity  of the rule as being discriminatory and  violative of  Article 14 of the Constitution of India.   According  to the petitioners, in view of the directions of this Court  in Dr.  Dinesh Kumar & Ors. v. Motilal Nehru  Medical  Collage, Allahabad & Ors., AIR 1986 SC 1877, in almost all the States in  India, 75% seats for Post-Graduate Medical Courses  were being  filled  up by holding one common  examination  and  a combined merit list prepared for all the Medical Colleges in the State and that in the State of Uttar Pradesh alone  such a  combined  merit  list  has  not  been  prepared   despite conducting a common examination.      Allowing the Writ Petition, this Court,                                                        364      HELD:  1.  Rule (G)(ii) laying down the  provision  for preparing  a  merit  list  for  each  college  out  of   the institutional  candidates of that college, is  struck  down. The  State  Government is directed to  make  admissions  for

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Post-Graduate  Medical  Courses  in all  the  seven  Medical Colleges  on the basis of a combined merit list.  The  State Government  shall  issue a Notification in this  regard  and publish  the  same immediately in one Hindi and one  English newspaper having wide circulation in the State as well as by putting  the  same  on the notice board  of  all  the  seven Medical Colleges.  It would state that the admissions  shall be  made in Post-Graduate Medical Courses on the basis of  a combined  merit list for the entire State and allow all  the eligible  candidates  to  mention  their  fresh  choice   of specialities in the Post-Graduate Courses within 10 days  of such  publication  in  the  newspaper  and  thereafter  make selection on the basis of combined merit list for the  whole State.  In case any candidate  does not submit his choice of speciality  within  the aforesaid time, the  choice  already given by him shall be taken into consideration in his  case. [370 E-G]      2.  This  Court  had already struck down  the  rule  of college-wise institutional preference as being violative  of Article  14 of the Constitution and all the States in  India are  following the rule of one combined merit list  for  the whole State except the State of Uttar Pradesh.  The  Medical Council of India also took the stand that one combined merit list  should  be prepared when the  entrace  examination  is conducted by one University for all the Medical Colleges  in the  State.  There in no question of claiming and  right  by the  candidates  on  the ground of having  appeared  in  the examination   on  the  basis  of  the  impugned   guidelines mentioned   in  the  information  brochure  issued  by   the University,  as no admissions in the present case have  been made  so far in any of the colleges.  No admission could  be allowed  on the basis of a rule which is  clearly  arbitrary and   discriminatory  and  has  already  been  declared   as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. [367 H; 368  A- D]      Dr.  Dinesh  Kumar  & Ors.  v.  Motilal  Nehru  Medical College,  Allahabad  &  Ors., AIR 1986  SC  1877;  State  of Rajasthan  & Anr. v. Dr. Ashok Kumar Gupta & Ors., [1989]  1 SCC  93; Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay &  Ors.  v. Thukral Anjali Deokumar & Ors., [1989] 2 SCC 249, relied on.      3.  There cannot be any right vested in the  candidates in seeking admission in a particular college.  Merit as  the basis for selection in the                                                        365 speciality  in a Post-Graduate course cannot  be  sacrificed against convenience. [368 H]      4.  In the case of a combined merit list for the  whole State of Uttar Pradesh, the candidates having secured a high position in merit would also be entitled to get specialities of  their choice in Medical Colleges of Lucknow  and  Kanpur even  though they might have passed their MBBS  Course  from Medical Colleges other than Lucknow and Kanpur. [370 C-D]

JUDGMENT:      ORIGINAL  JURISDICTION  : Writ Petition (C)  No.964  of 1991.      (Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India).      Gobind  Mukhoty, D.K. Garg and R.C. Kaushik  (NP),  for the Petitioners.      A.S.  Nambiar, R.B. Misra, L.R. Singh, S.K.  Agnihotri, J.R.  Das, D.K. Sinha, G. Prabhakar, Smt. Shanta  Vasudevan, P.K. Manohar G.K. Bansal, B.B. Singh and T.T. Kunikannan for the Respondents.

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    Ms.   Kamini   Jaiswal  and  Pramod  Swarup   for   the Interveners.      The Judgment of the Court was delivered by      KASLIWAL,  J. By this petition under Article 32 of  the Constitution  challenge  has  been made  to  the  guidelines issued  by the University of Lucknow for  the  Post-Graduate Medical Entrance Examination held on 12.1.1992 providing for a  merit  list  for each college out  of  the  institutional candidates  of  that  college.   There  are  seven   medical colleges  in the State of Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow,  Kanpur, Agra,  Allahabad, Meerut, Jhansi and Gorakhpur.  A  combined entrace  examination for admission in Post-Graduate  Medical Courses for all the seven medical colleges has been held  by the  University  of Lucknow.  Though,  a  combined  entrance examination   was  conducted  for  all  the  seven   medical colleges,  the seats are filled according to  the  admission rules on the basis of a merit list prepared for each college out  of the institutional candidates of that  college.   The clause (G)(ii) under challenge reads as under:-          "Based  on  the marks obtained at  the  competitive          entrance  examination and the candidates choice  of          the course a merit list shall be prepared for  each          college out of the institutional candidates of that          college."                                                        366      The  information  brochure  issued  by  the  University defines ’Institutional candidate’ and ’Institutional  seats’ as under:-          "Institutional candidate’ shall mean a student  who          has   obtained  M.B.B.S./M.D.S.  degree   of   that          University/Institution.          ’Institutional seats’ shall mean 75% of total seats          available for post graduate degree diploma  courses          in  an Institution after excluding 25% seats to  be          filled by the All India Competition called the "All          India MD/MS/Diploma/MDS Entrance Examination."      The petitioners who had appeared in the above  Entrance Examination have challenged the above rule on the ground  of discrimination   and   violation  of  Article  14   of   the Constitution.   The  case  of the  petitioners  is  that  in pursuance  to  the directions of this Hon’ble Court  in  Dr. Dinesh  Kumar  &  Ors. v.  Motilal  Nehru  Medical  College, Allahabad  & Ors. AIR 1986 SC 1877, 25% of the total  number of  seats  for Post-Graduate Courses are filled  up  on  the basis of All India Entrace Examination and the remaining 75% by  holding a State level Entrance Examination.   In  almost all  the  States in India the 75%  seats  for  Post-Graduate Medical  Courses are filled up by holding one  common  State level examination and a combined merit list is prepared  for all  the  medical colleges in the State.  According  to  the petitioners  the  above rule is followed in almost  all  the States   including   the  States   of   Orissa,   Rajasthan, Maharashtra,  Karnatake and Punjab and Haryana.  It is  only the  State of Uttar Pradesh which is admitting students  for Post-Graduate  Medical Courses on the basis of a merit  list prepared   for  each  college  out  of   the   institutional candidates  of  that  college.  Thus,  the  State  of  Uttar Pradesh is not preparing a combined merit list for the whole State inspite of the examination being conducted by the same Lucknow University.      It  is not necessary for us to labour on the  point  in issue  inasmuch  as  the  point  stands  concluded  by   the following  decisions of this Court in State of  Rajasthan  & Anr. v. Dr. Ashok Kumar Gupta & Ors., [1989] 1 SCC 93 and in Municipal  Corporation of Greater Bombay & Ors.  v.  Thukral

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Anjali  Deokumar  & Ors., [1989] 2 SCC 249.   In  Dr.  Ashok Kumar  Gupta’s case, a benefit to the extent of 5% in  total marks   was  given  by  way  of  collegewise   institutional preference in Rajasthan and the same was struck down by this Court on the ground of being unreasonable and arbitrary  and violative of                                                        367. Article 14 of the Constitution.  In Municipal Corporation of Greater  Bombay  & Ors. v. Thukral Anjali  Deokumar  &  Ors. (supra)  the  question  was  regarding  admission  to  Post- Graduate  Degree/Diploma Courses in medical colleges run  by Municipal  Corporation  and state  Government.   Collegewise institutional preference was given under Rule 4(A) of  Rules for  admissions framed by Bombay Municipal  Corporation  and Rule 5 framed under resolution for admission of  Maharashtra Government.      This Court held as under:          "There  is  not intelligible  differentia  for  the          Classification by way of collegewise  institutional          preference  as  provided  by  the  impugned   rules          distinguishing  the preferred candidates in respect          of  each  college  from those  excluded  from  such          classification.    But   such   classification   or          collegewise  institutional  preference,  merit  has          been  sacrificed, far less it has  been  preferred.          When  the  university  is the same  for  all  these          colleges, the syllabus, the standard of examination          and even the examiners are the same, any preference          to candidates to the post-graduate degree course of          the same university, except in order of merit, will          exclude  merit  to  a great  extent  affecting  the          standard  of  educational  institutions.   In  such          circumstances, collegewise institutional preference          cannot  be  supported  and,  it  has  already  been          noticed  that this Court has not approved  of  such          preference at all."      We  have heard learned Counsel for the State  of  Uttar Pradesh  as well as Counsel appearing for  the  interveners. None  of the Counsel were able to put forth any argument  on merits to distinguish the above-mentioned decisions of  this Court.   The only argument made is that the  candidates  who have  appeared  in the examination for this year  under  the scheme  of the rules under challenge have acquired  a  right and it would be inequitable to strike the aforesaid rule and to make the selection on the basis of a combined merit  list for  the  whole  State.   We find  no  force  in  the  above contention.  As already mentioned above this Court in  State of Rajasthan & Anr. v. Dr. Ashok Kumar Gupta & Ors.  decided on October 11, 1988 and in Municipal Corporation of  Greater Bombay  & Ors. v. Thukral Anjali Deokumar & Ors. decided  on March   7,  1989  had  already  struck  down  the  rule   of collegewise  institutional preference as being violative  of Article                                                        368 14  of  the  Constitution and all the States  in  India  are following the rule of one combined merit list for the  whole State except the State of Uttar Pradesh.  We had also issued notice  to the Medical Council of India and Learned  Counsel appearing  for  the Medical Council of India also  took  the stand  that one combined merit list should be prepared  when the entrance examination is conducted by one University  for all the medical colleges in the State.  There is no question of  claiming  any right by the candidates on the  ground  of having  appeared  in  the examination on the  basis  of  the impugned  guidelines mentioned in the  information  brochure

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issued  by the University, as no admissions in  the  present case  have  been made so far in any of the  colleges.   This writ petition had been filed prior to the declaration of the results  and  after hearing Counsel for the parties  we  had granted  stay  of admissions in the entire  State  of  Uttar Pradesh   for   Post-Graduate   Courses.    If   we    allow classification  on collegewise institutional preference,  it would  be in violation of the law already declared  by  this Court.   It would also result into great injustice to  large number of candidates who are not before us but are bound  to be  affected if combined merit list is not prepared for  the entire  State  as  a  whole.  We find  no  valid  ground  or justification to allow any admissions on the basis of a rule which  is  clearly  arbitrary  and  discriminatory  and  has already  been  declared as violative of Article  14  of  the Constitution.      An  application  has been submitted on  behalf  of  Dr. Rajat  Shekhar, Dr. Rakesh Yadav and Dr. Reena Aggarwal  for impleading  them  as parties in this case.  Looking  to  the urgency of the matter and the nature of the issues involved, we  do  not find any ground or justification  to  allow  the applicants to be impleaded as parties in the case.  However, we  have  already permitted the interveners  to  file  their submissions  in  writing and as such we  are  examining  the written submissions of the applicants also.      The  objections raised by the interveners  are  totally baseless  and without any foundation.  It may be noted  that in the reply submitted by the State of Uttar Pradesh it  has been  stated  that  a total of 316 candidates have qualified against  540  seats.   Thus,  it  is  clear  that  all   the candidates including the interveners will get admission  for Post-graduate  Courses in one college or the  other.   There cannot  be  any  vested  right in  seeking  admission  in  a particular college.  Merit as the basis for selection in the speciality  in a Post-Graduate course cannot  be  sacrificed against   convenience.    The   applicant/interveners   have submitted that the brochure clearly mentioned that                                                        369 the  competitive entrance examination was held on the  basis of  a  merit list for each college out of the  institutional candidates  of that college.  It has been submitted  that  a student  who  appears  in  a  competitive  examination   for admission to a particular institution is aware of the likely competition he is to face in his home institution.  Had  the applicants  been  aware  that it  was  an  open  competitive examination for the whole State and a combined merit list of the entire seats, the effort put in by the students would be commensurate to the competition they are likely to face.  We cannot comprehend an argument like the one made above that a candidate while appearing in an examination for selection on the  basis  of  merit  will  adopt  different  standards  of preparation  and effort if they would have known that  merit would  be determined on the basis of a combined  merit  list for  the  whole State instead of merit  collegewise.   Every student  is  expected and in fact puts all his  efforts  and energies  in  securing the best position on merit  in  every competitive examination.  It has been further submitted that changing  or  setting  the clock back at  this  stage  would result  in severe disappointment amongst a large  number  of successful  candidates  and  that  the  students  would   be disturbed  from  their  hearths and  homes  where  they  are settled  for  the last so many years and  are  not  mentally prepared to be shifted from the said atmosphere.  We find no force  in  the  submission.   In the  present  case  we  are concerned  with  admission to Post-Graduate courses  in  the

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medical colleges where the eligible candidates are those who have  already  passed MBBS examination  and  have  completed compulsory rotatory internship.  Thus, it is not a course in which  any young or teenagers are seeking admissions but  on the  other  hand it is a course where  candidates   who  are already mature in age and have already qualified  as doctors are seeking  admission  and such candidates  cannot  take  a ground  that they would be disturbed from their hearths  and homes and were not mentally prepared to be shifted from  the said  atmosphere.  If a candidate is prepared to  come  from Lucknow  and Allahabad to Jhansi and Gorakhpur why  not  the candidates  of  Jhansi  and Gorakhpur go  to  other  medical colleges  in  the same State of Uttar Pradesh.   Even  after obtaining  Post-Graduate  degrees the candidates  should  be well  prepared  for being posted anywhere in  the  State  of Uttar  Pradesh,  and even may have to go outside  their  own State  for  the betterment of their career.   We  cannot  be oblivious to the situation that  if the rule of merit on the basis  of institutional preference is applied,  a  candidate having secured a very high position in merit in the combined merit list for the whole State of Uttar Pradesh may                                                        370 be  deprived  of  getting a speciality of  his  choice  even though be might be prepared to go in another medical college in the same State of Uttar Pradesh.      It     has     also    been    submitted     by     the applicants/interveners that the students having passed their MBBS  courses  from Gorakhpur, Jhansi and Agra were  put  to greater  hardship  and  less  privileges  in  comparison  to Lucknow and Kanpur where there were more facilities like the special cardiac lab, neurology lab, cat scan  facility, echo cardiography   or  facilities  for  advanced   surgery   and microscopic  surgery.  We fail to understand as to  how  the facility  ground  can at  all be to the  disadvantage  of  a meritorious  student  having  passed his  MBBS  course  from Gorakhpur, Jhansi or Agra.  In the case of a combined  merit list  for the whole State of Uttar Pradesh,  the  Candidates having  secured  a  high position in  merit  would  also  be entitled  to  get specialities of their  choice  in  medical colleges  of Lucknow and Kanpur even though they might  have passed  their MBBS course from medical colleges  other  than Lucknow and Kanpur.      In  the result, we allow this writ petition and  strike down the impugned Rule (G)(ii) laying down the provision for preparing  a  merit  list  for  each  college  out  of   the institutional  candidates  of that college.  We  direct  the State  Government  to  make  admissions  for   Post-Graduate Medical  Courses  in all the seven medical colleges  on  the basis of a combined merit list.  The State Government  shall issue a Notification in this regard and publish the same  in one Hindi and one English newspaper immediately having  wide circulation  in  the State of Uttar Pradesh as  well  as  by putting  the  same  on the notice board  of  all  the  seven medical colleges.  It would state that the admissions  shall be  made in Post-Graduate Medical Courses on the basis of  a combined  merit list for the entire State of  Uttar  Pradesh and allow all the eligible candidates to mention their fresh choice  of specialities in the Post-Graduate Courses  within 10 days of such publication in the newspaper and  thereafter make  selection on the basis of combined merit list for  the whole  State.   In case any candidate  does not  submit  his choice  of speciality within the aforesaid time, the  choice already  given by him shall be taken into  consideration  in his case.  No order as to costs. G.N.                                        Petition allowed.

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