Supreme Court Allows Counselling for 49 PG Seats at Hamdard Institute on Interim Basis

Law Notify : The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday permitted counselling to proceed for 49 postgraduate medical seats at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, even as the dispute over the institute’s affiliation continues to remain unresolved.

The court clarified that the permission is purely an interim arrangement, intended to safeguard the interests of students and ensure that valuable academic seats are not wasted. It underlined that the counselling and any admissions arising from it will be subject to the final outcome of the pending litigation concerning the institute’s affiliation and regulatory approvals.

The dispute has arisen from disagreements between the institute and the concerned authorities on affiliation-related issues, which had stalled admissions to the postgraduate courses. Noting the pressure on the academic calendar, the bench observed that any further delay in counselling could cause serious and irreparable harm to aspiring candidates.

At the same time, the court made it clear that no equities would accrue in favour of the institute or the students if the final decision goes against the institute. Any admissions made pursuant to the interim order will remain provisional and strictly dependent on compliance with applicable regulations.

The matter will be heard further at a later date, while counselling for the 49 PG medical seats has been allowed to go ahead in the meantime.