If anything, the order constitutes a victory of sorts for the LDF Government whose objective was to ensure merit-based admissions to medical colleges and dental colleges in the State.

The fact that the Court thought it fit to give only a conditional stay shows that the Government has managed to score a valid point it had been making all along.

The court-imposed conditions are: first, the managements should make admissions only on the basis of the merit list prepared by the Union Government-administered National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) of 2016. The managements have also been asked to submit the prospectus for the approval of the Admission Supervisory Committee. Moreover, the colleges must accept applications online – something the Admission Supervisory Committee has already asked them to do.

All these conditions, government sources point out, constitute a victory of sorts for the Government. The private managements cannot, hereafter, afford to have their whimsical ways in the matter of admissions, as in the past.

Most important, the court order would go a long way in putting an end to the pernicious practice of charging capitation fee from students desirous of medical admissions, it is being pointed out. .

The order has come on a batch of petitions filed by the Kerala Christian Professional College Managements’ Federation, Muslim Education Society (MES) and other self-financing medical and dental colleges in the State challenging the Government order.

Now that the Government has managed to ‘have its way’ on the issue of ensuring transparency in admissions, it has decided not to go in appeal against the HC order. More legal battles on the issue would further delay the admission process, inconveniencing both the students and their parents. The Government does not want to do that, said Health Minister K K Shailaja.

The managements had argued that the Government took the decision on the basis of a Union government directive. The Centre’s letter to the State Governments, the managements’ advocate argued, was not mandatory. All that it did was to point out that it was ‘desirable’ to have a centralised allotment by the State Government. The Government was trying to misuse that letter. That was their contention.

The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has, understandably, tried to make political capital out of the ‘setback’ suffered by the Government. Both Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and former health minister V S Shivakumar have claimed that the government had brought it all upon itself through its failure to do its homework properly. But the effort does not seem to be succeeding given the ‘cold reception’ it has received.

On the other hand, the perception gaining ground that the management’s decision to go to court proved beneficial for the government. It was that decision which has led to the HC order imposing certain conditions for admissions by private managements. True, in the process, the court has upheld the right of the institutions run by minorities to make admissions to all seats from the NEET list. But with a proviso that the process be transparent, thereby severely curtailing the chances for corrupt practices in the matter of selection of eligible students. In other words, the Government has emerged from the episode, with its head held high: hereafter, merit will be the overriding principle in admissions to medical colleges.

That is a sure recipe for professionalism and quality in medical profession – something which has not been the case during the past years OF UDF rule. (IPA Service)