NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said the seats in medical courses cannot remain vacant and directed the Centre to hold a meeting with the relevant stakeholders on the issue.A two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan, which was hearing a plea raising the concern of vacant seats, observed, “Seats cannot go vacant.”Earlier, the apex court had flagged the issue, in one of its hearings, after getting to know that the speciality seats in medical courses remains vacant.During the hearing on Friday in the top court, the lawyer for the petitioner said, it would be appropriate if the Centre held a meeting with the stakeholders and came out with a concrete proposal.After hearing this, the bench of the apex court directed for the meeting to be held by the Centre to resolve the issue in medical institutions across the country. The bench also directed the needful to be done within three months while posting the matter for further hearing in April.The top court said the plea depicted a “very sorry picture” given that 1,003 precious super speciality seats were going to waste as no admissions could take place for the seats.”On the one hand, we find that there is always a shortage of super speciality doctors and on the other hand these precious seats remain unfilled,” a concerned apex court, said.Earlier also, the Central government had suggested the apex court to appoint a committee, consisting of all the stakeholders including representatives of states and private medical colleges, under the chairmanship of the director general of health services to resolve the issue.On Friday, the Centre said the committee comprising the stakeholders was constituted and it had given its recommendations and in the process to sort out the vacant seats issue.
Source link
