HC issues notice to Chandigarh on Defence ward's plea

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice of motion and notice regarding stay to the Chandigarh Administration on a plea of a Defence personnel ward challenging the admission criteria for MBBS seats at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (GMCH-32).

The notice by the Division Bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Vikas Suri came on the plea filed by Ananya Goswami against the alleged “last-minute change in criteria” for MBBS admissions. Questioning the “botched-up criteria” specially introduced for the Defence personnel wards, counsel Amar Vivek Aggarwal and Shiva Prashar contended on the petitioner’s behalf that the Chandigarh Administration since 1992 had been following Union government’s directives and granting waiver of domiciliary conditions to Defence personnel wards. As such, they were not mandated to pass Class XII from Chandigarh schools and were being treated as “UT pool candidates against 85 per cent admission quota”.

The Administration itself framed a scheme on September 14, 2007, following the Union government’s directives, whereby special consideration was applicable to Defence personnel wards.

In Ashu Hooda’s case in August 2018, the High Court had directed the Chandigarh Administration to adhere to the condition of mandating the passing of Class X, XI and XII from Chandigarh schools. The Administration introduced the condition in a staggered manner spread over three years for the general category candidates. On the other hand, it acted in a grossly discriminatory manner, much after the issuance of NEET notification on April 6 and introduced a new policy on July 15, restricting the defence personnel benefits only to those having permanent residences in Chandigarh at the time of entry into service.

The counsel argued that such a harsh condition made the concession purposeless for the Defence wards. Defence personnel belonged to whole of the country and were required to be given option of choosing at least one state quota as per his choice, it was added.

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