In Brief
Two students with partial colour blindness were barred from MBBS admission at the counselling stage based on Medical Council of India guidelines. The High Court upheld the debarment. The Supreme Court held that without formal regulations, such guidelines cannot alone justify total exclusion from medical education. The Court noted that colour vision deficiency affects only 8% of men and 0.4% of women, and many countries permit CVD students in medical courses. While acknowledging certain specialties require colour vision, the Court held that total exclusion is regressive and discriminatory. It directed the MCI to constitute an expert committee to review CVD diagnosis, available aids, and suitable medical practice areas for CVD practitioners, to be reported within three months.
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