Next hearing likely on December 19
Dimapur, November 3 (MExN): The Supreme Court has issued notice in the Special Leave Petition (SLP) concerning Nagaland’s Central Pool MBBS quota policy, with the tentative hearing scheduled for December 19.
“The petitioner is permitted to serve notice on the standing counsel for the State,” read the order issued by Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Atul S Chandurkar after hearing the petition on November 3.
As an interim measure, the Court also allowed petitioner to participate in the counselling process for the admission to MBBS course.
However, the Bench categorically clarified that permission of participate in the counselling process does not give any right to claim in favour of the petitioner.
“We make it clear that this order shall not give any right to claim in favour of the petitioner,” it stressed.
According to the status available on the Supreme Court website, the next hearing of the called may be “Tentatively case may be listed on (likely to be listed on)” on December 19.
The SLP was filed by a medical aspirant who originally challenged Nagaland’s Notification dated September 9, 2021, on the allocation of Central Pool MBBS seats.
A Single-Judge of the Gauhati High Court (Kohima Bench) had set aside the notification and ordered that the petitioner be considered for a Central Pool seat.
However, following an appeal by the Nagaland Government, the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court (Principal Bench) on October 23 reversed that decision, upholding the State’s position that the Central Pool quota allotted to Nagaland is intended for local students of a deficit-State category, and that wards of defence personnel cannot claim seats under this stream, as a separate Central Pool exists under the Ministry of Defence for defence categories.
The medical aspirant has now challenged the Division Bench’s ruling in the apex court.
The State of Nagaland, the Union of India and three others are respondents in the SLP.
