New Delhi: After setting out implementation of the national eligibility entrance test (NEET) as the single window exam for admission to all medical colleges, the Supreme Court said on Thursday that private medical colleges cannot conduct counselling for admission to MBBS and BDS courses. The admission process, the court said, would be done through centralised counselling conducted by the state governments concerned.
This means that educational institutions will not be able to reach out to prospective students through "offer letters" on the basis of NEET results. The court passed the order on a petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh government seeking contempt proceedings against private colleges which, it said, were defying the SC order by holding their own counselling for admission in MBBS and BDS courses.
The order has wider application as private colleges in other states are also conducting counselling which has been challenged in the court. "If any counselling has been done by any college or university and any admission has been given so far, such admission shall stand cancelled forthwith and admission shall be given only as per centralised counselling done by the state government," a five-judge Constitution bench said.
The SC, however, refused to pass any punitive order against the colleges on the contempt plea and allowed them to send their representatives to participate in the counselling process.
This means that educational institutions will not be able to reach out to prospective students through "offer letters" on the basis of NEET results. The court passed the order on a petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh government seeking contempt proceedings against private colleges which, it said, were defying the SC order by holding their own counselling for admission in MBBS and BDS courses.
The order has wider application as private colleges in other states are also conducting counselling which has been challenged in the court. "If any counselling has been done by any college or university and any admission has been given so far, such admission shall stand cancelled forthwith and admission shall be given only as per centralised counselling done by the state government," a five-judge Constitution bench said.
The SC, however, refused to pass any punitive order against the colleges on the contempt plea and allowed them to send their representatives to participate in the counselling process.