SFMCs row: Government has the last laugh

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday permitted the state government to continue allotment of 50 percent seats in self-financing medical colleges (SFMCs).Justice Antony Dominic passed the order as the Supreme Court had on Monday extended the deadline for filling up the seats.However, admission to government quota seats will be subjected to the judgment on the writ petition filed by the college managements. The High Court on Tuesday had ordered to keep the Government Order in abeyance.Christian Professional College Managements Federation filed the petitions challenging the government order issued on directing it to cancel the admissions made to government quota seats in four self-financing colleges under it directing the Director of Medical Education to fill the seats.Though the Federation attempted to establish its stand saying that the Supreme Court order was applicable only to seats in all-India quota, the court refused to accept. Similarly, the court refused the submission by the Pariyaram medical college management that they would follow 50:50 allotment from next year as admission to 16 out of 21 seats have been completed.  The procedure for admissions to the medical PG courses in the self-financing colleges right from the publication of admission notification was illegal, the Advocate-General had earlier submitted. “The admission procedure lacked transparency. The Medical Council of India regulations had been violated and an entirely different selection criteria adopted,” the AG submitted. It was also stated that students from other states were admitted without following the norms.