Madras High Court Recommends Resumption Of Reservation Of 2 Seats For Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Awardees For Admission In MBBS/BDS Courses
It was the plea of the Petitioner that his name be recommended for admission in the MBBS course against the vacancy allocated for the awardees of the National Child Award for exceptional achievement in the field of innovation.
The Madras High Court recently observed that the reservation of 2 seats for the awardees of the National Child Award for exceptional achievements in the field of innovation for admission in MBBS/BDS courses maybe a forward step.
The writ petitioner approached the High Court seeking a direction to the third respondent- Ministry of Women and Child Development to recommend his name to the second respondent- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for admission in the MBBS course during the academic year 2021-2022 against one of the two vacancies allocated from the Central Pool for the awardees of the National Child Award for exceptional achievement in the field of innovation.
The Division Bench comprising Justice RMT. Teekaa Raman and N.Senthilkumar said, “The child awardee for exceptional achievements needs encouragement and reservation in the medical field or any science field and it was rightly introduced two seats reservation and the said Scheme continued for sometime. Subsequently, the policy decision appears to have been changed.”
Advocate G.S.Vivekanandan represented the Peititoners while Assistant Solicitor General of India AR.L.Sundaresan represented the Respondents.
Factual Background
The Petitioner emerged as a Young Scientist from a rural background. He significantly made achievements in both the academic and technical fields and had also cleared NEET Examination in the year 2021. He won the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. Hence, he was under the impression that he would be selected under the Central Pool for the Ministry of Human Resource Development / Ministry of Women and Child Development. Hence, he filed the present writ petition.
The Single Bench was of the view no relief could be granted to the Petitioner for the concerned current academic year since the surrender of seats had already been made. Aggrieved by the non-grant of the relief by the Single Judge, the writ petitioner preferred the instant writ appeal.
Reasoning
The Bench took note of the submission of the Assistant Solicitor General of India that the Scheme, which provides for two seat reservations for the awardees of the National Child Award for exceptional achievements in the field of innovation, has been dropped from the academic year 2022 – 2023. The Bench thus said, “In view of the above submission, we are of the view that the same being a policy decision of the Government, this Court cannot interfere with the same and hence, we express our inability to grant the relief sought for the writ petitioner.”
The Court observed that the child awardee for exceptional achievements needs encouragement. It was noticed that the said Scheme continued for some time but subsequently, the policy decision changed.
“In the larger interest of our country, to make achievements in the field of Science and Technology, such reservation providing two seats in the central pool for the admission in MBBS/BDS courses, after clearing the NEET Examination, may be a forward step to make our students to go high in life. Hence, though it is a policy decision, taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, “we recommend for resumption of such reservation” of two seats for the awardees of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar will be a right step for inculcating “scientific temper” among the students as envisaged in the preamble portion of the Constitution of India”, the Bench held.
The Bench thus disposed of the Petition with the above recommendation.
Cause Title: SA.Sivasooryaa v. Union of India (Case No.:W.A.(MD) No.1046 of 2022)
Appearance:
Appellant: Advocate G.S.Vivekanandan
Respondents: Assistant Solicitor General of India AR.L.Sundaresan, Advocate Mr.S.Jeyasingh
