Mumbai: The Supreme Court’s verdict Thursday cancelling the move to hold a national entrance test for medical courses is unfortunate as it would benefit private colleges, says a medical expert.

The apex court quashed the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) notification for holding common entrance tests for MBBS, BDS and post-graduate medical courses. A three-judge bench by a 2:1 verdict held that the MCI notification was ultra vires of the Constitution.

“Thursday’s verdict cancelling the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and allowing states and private colleges to conduct their own exam is one of the most unfortunate judgements in the history of medical education,” says Dr I.S. Gilada who heads the People’s Health Organisation (PHO). His organization has now demanded that this matter be reviewed by a larger bench in the Supreme Court.

“The majority verdict by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir and Justice Vikramjit Sen said that MCI is not empowered to prescribe all-India medical entrance tests. But Justice A. R. Dave said, ‘Holding of NEET is legal, practical and is the need of the society. Hence, I have dissented.’” Gilada says, “NEET was initiated with twin objectives —one of national integration and the other to check the pernicious black market of medical undergraduate and postgraduate seats by mushrooming private medical colleges all over the country. This purpose is defeated in its entirety by Thursday’s order.” He also added that a single medical entrance test for medical postgraduation was aimed at reducing the torture young medical graduates go through whilst appearing for different tests in different parts of the country.

The bench has been hearing a bunch of 115 cases clubbed together in the Transfer Case (Civil) No. 98/2012 Christian Medical College Vellore and Others vs. Union of India and Others for last eight months. The matter has been heard on a record 30 occasions and over 200 advocates and counsels including several highly influential and expensive senior counsels argued the case over several hours. Most of the petitioners are private colleges, said Gilada.

Scarcity of seats in the medical sector has led to private medical colleges and deemed universities charging steep capitation fees ranging anywhere from Rs6 million to Rs20 million, in addition to annual fees. This practice is rampant but cannot be proved since parents eager to get their children into medical colleges are ready to pay.

The PHO already has its ongoing public interest litigation of 2008 seeking reforms in postgraduate medical education, increase in seats and curbing malpractices in privately run medical colleges, most of which are run by politicians. “This is responsible for frustration among young meritorious doctors,” he feels.