HC comes down on Mohammed panel

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday criticised the P A Mohammed Committee for procedural irregularities in the entrance examination to MBBS courses in self -financing medical colleges.“The lapse on the part of the committee caused trouble to 14,100 students in the state,” the court said. “The committee was a mute spectator to the whole proceedings,” the court observed.The court observed this while considering a petition filed by Amina Nahna of Kozhikode challenging the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association’s (KPMCMA) decision to conduct its own entrance examination for admission to the MBBS course in colleges under it. Justice Antony Dominic reserved the petition for orders.Meanwhile, the state government justified the entrance examination conducted by the KPMCMA. Replying to the court’s queries regarding the conduct of the examination, the Advocate-General submitted that the exam was regular. “The validity of the examination has to be decided by the Mohammed Committee. The MBBS classes were expected to begin on August 1 and the state does not want further delay,” the AG submitted. The court asked the state to file a statement in this regard. Counsel for KPMCMA submitted that there was no need to obtain permission at each and every phase of admission. But the court criticised the KPMCMA  for not approaching the committee regarding the conduct of the test. Amina, a rank-holder in the list prepared by the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations,  approached the court seeking a directive to the government to take over the admission procedure.