Mumbai: CPS moves Bombay HC after state government stops admission process

Mumbai: A writ petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) for restarting the admission process which was halted by Maharashtra Medical Education Secretary Dr Ashwini Joshi.

However, the CPS skipped the second hearing which was scheduled on Friday. Dr Joshi said, “We had called them for a hearing but none of them appeared and has approached the Bombay High Court regarding anomalies found during an inspection conducted in hospitals officering CPS-affiliated courses.”

Registrar CPS Dr Rajesh Darade said: “We are requesting the government through the HC to start the admission process as students are suffering.”Last year the Maharashtra Medical Council conducted an inspection of 120 CPS institutes; it was found that two were closed and 73 refused to be inspected. In the remaining 45, most were found to be deficient in the number of teaching staff and beds. “Under Section 28 (2) of the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965, the government is empowered to curtail the courses,” read Dr Joshi’s letter issued to CPS.

Gadkari says he had not sought the transfer

Earlier, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, in his letter sent on March 9, criticised Joshi alleging that she was obstructing the admission process and disrupting the department’s functioning. Five days later, Joshi issued a fresh notice to CPS seeking a detailed explanation as to why CPS courses shouldn’t be removed from the Maharashtra Medical Council's schedule. Gadkari had written that if the admission process of 2022 does not start, the association feared that 1,100 CPS PG seats will be lost.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, Gadkari from Nagpur, also clarified that he had not sought the transfer of any official. “As public representatives, it is our utmost duty to raise issues of public importance with different authorities and (I) have been doing so in my long political career.”

"My letter on the subject matter to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary has served the exact purpose. Nothing can be further away from the truth that I had recommended the transfer of an officer concerned in the Medical Education department. It is also equally laughable to suggest that my family has some personal interest in the matter,” he added, referring to a media report.