Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam today filed a caveat petition in the Supreme Court in connection with reservation for OBC students in medical studies.
This has come a day after the Madras High Court directed the Union government to constitute a Committee within three months to decide on the issue of providing 50 per cent quota in medical admission to Other Backward Class (OBCs) students in All India Quota (AIQ).
The Committee should consist of representatives from the Centre, Tamilnadu government and the Medical Council of India (MCI), the First Bench comprising Chief Jusitice A P Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said, while
disposing off a batch of petitions filed by the ruling AIADMK, DMK, PMK and other parties challenging the Centre’s decision not to provide OBC quota in AIQ seats for medical admission.
The political parties moved the High Court after the Apex Court had declined to hear their pleas and asked them to approach the High Court on the matter.
Refusing to accept the MCI’s contention that only the Apex Court to take a decision on the matter, the Bench also made it clear that any decision made by the panel would be applicable only from the next academic year.
Observing that there was no legal bar in providing OBC quota in AIQ seats as contended by the MCI, the Bench said it was not passing a positive order to provide the reservation in view of the settled law that courts could not interfere in policy decisions of the government, unless in cases were fundamental rights were affected.