Recently, the Madras High Court decided that three students couldn't get into medical courses through the special admission process for people with significant disabilities. Judge G.K. Ilanthiraiyan handled the case involving students E. Saranya, Keerthana N, and S. Preetha against the State of Tamil Nadu and others.
Case Background
- Students' Disabilities: Each student has a recognized disability. E. Saranya has a birth defect with a 65% disability, Keerthana N has a 56% hearing problem, and S. Preetha has a 50% movement-related disability. They all wanted to join MBBS/BDS courses through the special admission process for disabilities.
Medical Board's Check
- Initial Checks: The Regional Medical Board evaluated their disabilities as much lower than their original reports: 10% for E. Saranya, 0% for Keerthana N, and 25% for S. Preetha. This made them not eligible for the special admission.
Students' Arguments
- Ability to Perform: E. Saranya, Keerthana N, and S. Preetha argued that the focus was too much on the numbers rather than their actual abilities to work as medical professionals.
- Supreme Court Advice: They mentioned Supreme Court decisions that stress the importance of actual abilities over strict number-based assessments.
"The way students with disabilities are allowed into the medical field must match with constitutional rights and laws." - Supreme Court
Other Side's Defense
- Rules for Eligibility: The State of Tamil Nadu and others argued that to qualify for the special admission, a minimum of 40% disability is required, according to the rules.
- Final Check: A re-evaluation at JIPMER confirmed the initial results, with all students scoring below 40% disability.
Court's Decision
- Verdict: The court rejected the students' requests, stating that E. Saranya, Keerthana N, and S. Preetha could apply through other admission processes but not through the special disability admission as their disabilities were assessed to be below 40%.
- Following Rules: The court mentioned that the evaluations followed the rules set by the National Medical Commission.
"Therefore, all the requests are rejected. No additional costs will be charged." - Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan
This case highlights the ongoing discussion about how disabilities should be evaluated for educational opportunities, balancing legal requirements with personal abilities.
