On Wednesday, the second phase admission into MBBS, BDS and other medical courses under the 50% convenor quota was stayed by the Telangana High Court which put the Kaloji health varsity officials in the dock over alleged malpractice in the process.
“Prima facie we are of the opinion that the action of authorities is wrong,” a division comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice P Keshav Rao said as it questioned whether officials were trying to help the kin of the influential at the cost of weaker sections.
The HC’s interim order came in a plea filed by Nootenki Bhavana and four other students from Adilabad, Wanaparthi and Nirmal accusing authorities of doing injustice to students of reserved categories.
Appearing for students, senior counsel A Satya Prasad said: “They are supposed to fill open competition (OC) seats first before filling seats under reserved categories. But officials started filling up reserved seats first and later took up the OC category. Those reserved candidates who got high merit, but were unsure about their prospects, hence could grab seats under reserved category.”
The counsel said these students with good marks, known as merit reserved candidates (MRCs), were allowed to avail seats under reserved category.
“Had the authorities filled the OC category first, these MRCs would have got seats under OC category. Several SC, ST and BC students would have then got the seats now occupied by these MRCs. This is nothing but practically erasing reservations for the weak,” added Prasad, citing GO Ms No 550 which mandates that OC category should be filled first.
The bench questioned the state counsel if authorities had taken up the task of filling reserved seats first in contravention of the procedure. It also verified the records and asked the state to file its counter.
The first phase admissions may remain intact as the petitioners themselves were saying that they had no grievance as GO 550 was followed.
The matter has been adjourned till Tuesday.
