In Brief
Saraswati Medical College admitted 132 students in 2017 outside the mandatory centralized NEET counselling system, in violation of Medical Council regulations. The Supreme Court held that such independent admissions are impermissible and the College acted with intentional disregard for rules. However, to prevent students from losing three years of study, and recognizing them as NEET-qualified, the Court permitted them to complete their MBBS course. The College was penalized with a Rs. 5 crore deposit to benefit needy medical students, and admitted students must perform two years of community service post-graduation. The petition was disposed with conditional relief to the students.
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