High CourtDivision BenchDirections issued along with sealing of premise...

Sourabh Brala and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.

Case / Petition Number:Writ Petition (Civil) No. 571 of 2018; Writ Petition (C) No. 798 of 2018
Neutral Citation:[2018] 14 S.C.R. 901

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court
Hon'ble Judges
  • R. F. Nariman
  • M. R. Shah
Judgment Date
2018-12-06
Court Decision / Holding
The Court ordered: (1) the Respondent No.5 College must hand over land, buildings and all assets to the State Government forthwith, by a specified deadline; (2) the State Government, upon application to the University, will secure affiliation after inspection within four weeks; (3) the University will, thereafter, apply to the Medical Council of India for permission under Section 10A of the MCI Act; (4) if the University affiliates the institution and MCI grants permission, the first-year MBBS students may sit for the first-year examination conducted by the affiliating University; (5) the Director General of Police, Dehradun, is to seal the college premises; (6) any future litigation on this matter shall be entertained by this Court; (7) the matter is listed for further hearing on a specified date to monitor progress.
Final Disposition
Directions issued along with sealing of premises and a schedule for affiliation and MCI permission; further hearing listed.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Sourabh Brala and Others

Respondents

  • Union of India
  • State Government of Uttarakhand
  • Respondent No. 5 College
  • Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University, Dehradun
  • Medical Council of India

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • Nidhesh Gupta
  • • Vikas Singh
  • • Ajit Kumar Sinha
  • • Akshat Shrivastava
  • • Ms. Pooja G Shrivastava
  • • Tarun Gupta
  • • Himanshu Sethi
  • • Jatinder Kumar Bhatia
  • • Ashutosh Kumar Sharma
  • • Gaurav Sharma
  • • Dhawal Mohan
  • • Prateek Bhatia
  • • Prasanna Mohan
  • • Amitabh Sinha
  • • Chandra Bhushan Prasad
  • • Vijay Prakash
  • • Ms. Prerna Priyadarshni
  • • G. S. Makker
  • • Varun Tankha
  • • Siddharth Sharma

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Aman Lekhi
  • • J. K. Sethi

Case Synopsis & Summary

The matter concerns first-year MBBS admissions at Respondent No.5 College in Uttarakhand, where about 150 students completed a year but challenged the institution’s failure to meet requisite standards and infrastructure. The petitioners sought to transfer to another college within the State and to be allowed to appear in the first-year MBBS examination after completing the year, arguing that continuing under the present college would jeopardize their medical education and careers. The Court heard counsel for the State of Uttarakhand and for the Medical Council of India and examined the feasibility of preserving the students’ academic year while ensuring compliance with medical education norms. The State Government offered to take over the students and the college along with its infrastructure and assets, so that the institution could meet Medical Council of India norms and affiliate with Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University. The Court directed the college to hand over land, buildings and all assets to the State Government to enable this transition. After receiving the assets, the University would inspect and, within four weeks, decide on affiliation; the State Government would then apply to the Medical Council of India for permission under Section 10A of the MCI Act. If affiliation and MCI permission are granted, the first-year MBBS students may sit for the first-year examination conducted by the affiliating University. The Director General of Police was directed to seal the premises, and the Court listed further hearing. The order aims to preserve the students’ education within the State’s reform framework.

Provisions of Law Cited

Article 32 of the Constitution of IndiaSection 10A of the Medical Council of India Act

Legal Doctrines & Maxims

  • null

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The petitioners contended that Respondent No.5 College had failed to maintain essential facilities and standards under the Medical Council of India norms. They urged that, to protect their education, they be allowed to transfer to another state college and be permitted to appear in the first-year MBBS examination after completing the year. They emphasized the urgency of safeguarding their academic futures and sought immediate relief enabling continuation within the state’s medical education framework.

Contentions of Respondents

The respondents, led by the State of Uttarakhand, proposed a restructuring rather than dispatching students to other colleges. They announced that the State Government would take over the college and its assets to meet MCI norms and affiliate with Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University, with the University to inspect and decide on affiliation within four weeks and the State to apply for MCI permission under Section 10A. The approach aimed to preserve the students’ education and ensure compliance through a controlled transition.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

901 [2018] 14 S.C.R. 901 SOURABH BRALA AND ORS. A v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 571 of 2018) DECEMBER 06, 2018 **[R. F. NARIMAN AND M. R. SHAH, JJ.]** B _Education/Educational Institutions: Medical college – MBBS Course – Allegation of students of 1st year MBBS course that respondent no. 5 College had not got its act in order – Students sought transfer from respondent no. 5 College to any other college_ C _in the State and be allowed to take examination after having completed the first year of MBBS Course – Held: State Government willing to take over medical students and respondent no. 5 College with its infrastructure and assets so that it could meet both the Medical Council of India’s norms and affiliate with the State Medical University – Issuance of direction to the College to hand over the_ D _land, building and all assets to the State Government, by next day – On application being made by the State Government to the State Medical University, the said University after making inspection would proceed to take steps to grant affiliation to the respondent no. 5 College and the Medical Council of India would grant permission under the Medical Council of India Act – Henceforth,_ E _the students who took the first year course could sit for the first year examination of MBBS._ CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Writ Petition (Civil) No. 571 of 2018 Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India F ## With Writ Petition (C) No. 798 of 2018. Aman Lekhi, ASG, J. K. Sethi, Dy. Adv. Gen., Nidhesh Gupta, Vikas Singh, Ajit Kumar Sinha, Sr. Advs., Akshat Shrivastava, Mrs. Pooja G Shrivastava, Tarun Gupta, Himanshu Sethi, Jatinder Kumar Bhatia, Ashutosh Kumar Sharma, Gaurav Sharma, Dhawal Mohan, Prateek Bhatia, Prasanna Mohan, Amitabh Sinha, Chandra Bhushan Prasad, Vijay Prakash, Ms. Prerna Priyadarshni, G. S. Makker, Varun Tankha, Siddharth Sharma, Advs. for the appearing parties. H 901 902 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2018] 14 S.C.R. A The following Order of the Court was passed : ## **O R D E R** 1. The present Writ Petition has been filed by the students, who were admitted to the first year MBBS Course in the Respondent No. 5 College. Mr. Nidhesh Gupta, learned senior counsel appearing for the B petitioners, has informed us that the total number of students who were admitted to the first year MBBS Course is 150. Despite having been taught for a period of 1 year, the petitioners have knocked at the doors of this Court for the reason that the Respondent No. 5 College has not got its act in order, as a result of which, they prayed that they be transferred from Respondent No. 5 College to any other College in the State and be C allowed to take their examination after having completed the first year of MBBS. 2. We have heard Mr. J.K. Sethi, learned Deputy Advocate General of the State of Uttarakhand and Mr. Vikas Singh, learned senior counsel appearing on behalf of the Medical Council of India. D 3. After hearing the learned counsel for some time, Mr. Sethi stated that he was instructed to make an offer before this Court which the court considered to be fair. Mr. Sethi states that the State Government would be willing to take over the students and the Respondent No. 5 College itself, along with all its entire infrastructure and assets, movable E and immovable, so that it could then meet both the Medical Council of India’s norms and affiliate with Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, Uttarakhand Medical University, Dehradun. 4. We direct the Respondent No. 5 College to hand over the land, building and all assets, as stated hereinabove, to the State Government forthwith – to be completed latest by tomorrow, i.e., December 7, 2018. F This is only to allay an apprehension raised by Mr. Sethi that the management of Respondent No. 5 College should not be given any time to deal with the assets and/or infrastructure, as it exists, as of today. 5. On an application being made by the State Government to the aforesaid University, the aforesaid University will, after taking an G inspection, as per its Statutes, proceed to take steps either to grant affiliation or otherwise, within a period of four weeks from the date on which the said application is made to it by the State Government. Likewise, once the State Government sets up the necessary infrastructure in terms of teaching staff etc., it will apply to the Medical Council of H India for its permission under Section 10A of the Medical Council of India Act. 903 SOURABH BRALA AND ORS. v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. 6. We make it clear that if the aforestated University affiliates the A Institution and the Medical Council of India grants permission, the students, who have taken the first year Course, can then sit for the first year examination of MBBS, to be conducted by the affiliating University. 7. In pursuance of our order for handing over possession today itself, the Director General of Police, Dehradun, is directed to seal the B aforesaid premises forthwith. We make it clear that any litigation _qua_ this College, that may arise in future, can only be made before this Court and no other. 8. List on Thursday, the 13[th] December, 2018 as first item for further hearing. Nidhi Jain Directions for further listing. C D E F G H