Wednesday, January 12 2005 17:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In an omnibus order benefiting lakhs of students, the Supreme Court today (Jan 12, 2005) directed all States and Union Territories to declare 10+2 examination results by June 10 every year so as to allow them enough time to compete in entrance examinations for professional courses.

A Bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice D M Dharmadhikari and Justice Tarun Chatterjee also asked the concerned Education Boards to supply the marks-sheets to the students by June 15.

Propounding a 15-point guideline to streamline admissions into Medical and other professional colleges, the Bench asked them to strictly adhere to the time schedule for admissions by completing counselling in time and said there was a "complete no " to mid-stream admissions, admissions in excess of the total seats or carrying forward the unfilled seats to the next academic year.

Asking the States to conclude the first round of counselling for Government Medical Colleges positively by July 25 every year, the Bench asked the concerned Chief Secretaries to inform the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) about the vacancy position for the 15 per cent all India Quota seats by July 26 so that it could start its counselling.

In another significant direction, the Bench accepted the suggestion of Medical Council of India (MCI) to order that if any private medical college exceeded admissions to management quota seats in one year, then such seats for the next academic year would be reduced by the number of excess admissions made earlier.

This order came on a petition filed by Mridul Dhar and other students who had protested the delay in conducting counselling by the State Governments resulting in 15 per cent of all India quota seats lapsing to the States' kitty.

The Court, while pronouncing the guidelines, warned the Chief Secretaries and health Secretaries that any violation of the time schedule for admission to professional courses would attract penal measures.

It also sought an affidavit from the DGHS by January 31 directing it to respond to suggestions to conduct counselling for the all India quota seats through video-conferencing to save candidates from far-flung areas to come to Delhi for this purpose and also increasing the percentage of seats for all India quota from existing 15 to 20 per cent.

Regarding admissions to post-graduate medical courses, the Court, while directing adherence to the time-table, ordered that the merit of the candidates should not be "tinkered with" by introducing "Board percentage" or "interview percentage" marks.

The Court, after pronouncing the judgement, posted the matter for further hearing in third week of January.