SC sets aside Centre’s decision not to lower cut-off marks for dental surgery course
New Delhi, Feb. 8: In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court, on Monday, set aside its order not to lower the minimum marks for admission to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course for 2020-2021 saying it suffers from the vices of illegality and irrationality.
The top court directed the Centre that the vacant seats in first year BDS for the academic year 20202021 be filled from the candidates who participated in the NEET (UG) courses for the current year after lowering the minimum mark by 10 percentile.
It noted that there are about 7,000 seats available for admission to the firstyear BDS course during the current academic year for which the examinations were held on September 13, 2020.
A bench of Justices L.N. Rao and Krishna Murari held that the candidates belonging to the general category who have secured 40 percentile shall be eligible to be considered for admission in the first year BDS course for 2020-2021.
The bench said the students belonging to the SC/ST/OBC categories shall be declared qualified if they have secured 30 percentile.
In so far as general candidates with bench mark disabilities specified under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, is considered they would be eligible if they have secured 35 percentile, it said, adding that the admissions shall be made strictly in accordance with merit and the admission process shall be completed by February 18, 2021.
It said that any other student who has qualified in NEET (UG)-2020 examination, even without lowering the minimum marks and is willing to participate in the admission process, shall also be considered for admission to the BDS course.
The bench rejected the submission of the Centre that there is sufficient number of dentists in the country and, therefore, there is no harm in the seats being unfilled.
It, however, concurred with the government submissions that the actual reason for BDS seats going vacant is due to the exorbitant fee charged by the private dental colleges which is a deterrent for the seats not being filled up.
Only 265 out of 7,000 seats are vacant in government colleges. All the other unfilled seats are in private dental colleges. The managements of private dental colleges shall consider reducing the fee charged by them to encourage students to join the colleges, the bench said. It noted that the Centre has reduced the minimum marks for admission to first-year BDS course for the year 2019-2020 in consultation with the Dental Council of India but for the current academic year, despite recommendation by the council on December 28, 2020, it deemed fit not to lower the minimum marks.
The bench noted that the total number of seats available for the academic year 2020-2021 for MBBS is 91,367; BDS 26,949; and AYUSH 52,720, making it a total of 1,71,036 seats. However, the NEET qualified candidates are 7,71,500.
The ratio of seats available vis-à-vis eligible students is 1:4.5 and not 7. The basis for the decision to not reduce minimum marks, that there are sufficient eligible candidates, is without considering these vital facts.
◗ THE TOP court directed the Centre that the vacant seats in first year BDS for the academic year 20202021 be filled from the candidates who participated in the NEET (UG) courses for the current year after lowering the minimum mark by 10 percentile.
Launching a scathing attack on the Centre over the ongoing farmers’ agitation and the mayhem witnessed at Red Fort on Republic Day,
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday alleged in the Lok Sabha that the violence that had unfolded in Delhi was a conspiracy by the BJP-led NDA government. Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra also said that the country was under an “undeclared emergency”.
“The most important question is how could the miscreants reach Red Fort on a day like Republic Day? January 26 is a day in which the national capital remains under maximum security. Then, how can such an incident take place? I am sure that this was an incident staged by the government. You sent your people, who came disguised as farmers, and took part in violent activities,” he said while participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on President’s address.
Earlier, ending days of the logjam, the Opposition had accepted defence minister Rajnath Singh’s appeal to let the House function and allow the discussion on President’s address so as to ‘not let the traditions break down’.
“You (the Centre) are declaring war against Musalmaan (Muslims) and Kisan (farmers) now,” Mr Chowdhury said, adding that the “Prime Minister can speak to the whole world but doesn’t have time to apeak with farmers”.
Indian tradition, the Congress leader said, starts with an enquiry, doubt, challenge. “Our civilisation is an unending celebration of pluralism. Plurality accommodates differences. We should not be afraid of any debate, dissent, dialogue. It reflects in our civilisation,” Mr Choudhury added.
Mr Narendra Modi was present in the Lok Sabha when the Congress leader was speaking.
Referring to the BJP’s constant invocation of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name, especially in the wake of the forthcoming West Bengal assembly elections, Mr Choudhury said, “Since there’s no national icon in the BJP, the leaders look for great personalities to take advantage of before each election.”
Participating in the discussion, Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra also launched a strident attack on the BJP. “Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 in this House on the pretext of granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus and other minorities in neighbouring countries. At the same time, it threw into abusive insecurity, millions of Indians who had been living in this land for generations. But the rules by which this act will be implemented were not yet prepared by December 2020, according to the mome ministry,” Ms Moitra said.
She added that India today is “under an undeclared emergency” amid protests from the treasury benches.