Anitta Job vs The State Of Kerala

2. The brief facts of  the case which need  to be noted for deciding this appeal are:

3. The  Writ   petitions   were   filed   by   different   Medical Colleges   challenging   the   Government   Orders.   The   Kerala   High Court   in   a   bunch   of   writ   petitions,   leading   writ   petition being No.28041 of 2016 on 26.08.2016 stayed the orders issued by the State of Kerala with certain directions pertaining to admission   in   MBBS/BDS   Courses.   The   Malabar   Medical   College (hereinafter   referred   to   as   the   'College')   submitted   a 3 prospectus   to   the   Admission   Supervisory   Committee   (hereafter referred to as the 'ASC') and got it approved on 06.09.2016. As   per   the   order   passed   by   the   Kerala   High   Court   dated 26.08.2016   and   as   per   procedure   laid   down   by   the   ASC,   the applications for admissions were to be made on­line. Last date for   submitting   application   on­line   for   admission   was 09.09.2016.   The   respective   Colleges   were   also   directed   to publish   the   list   of   applications   received   on­line   so   as   to enable   the   ASC   to   supervise   and   guide   the   entire   admission process.

4. The appellants' case is that although they obtained the demand drafts from banks pertaining to the fee for admission prior to 09.09.2016, but their on­line applications could not be submitted due to some snag in the website of the College. On 13.09.2016 College published a list of 1335 candidates in which   the   names   of   the   appellants   were   not   there.   Certain other   candidates   whose   names   were   not   included   in   the   list filed complaints before the ASC. The ASC taking cognizance of the   complaints   issued   an   order   on   22.09.2016   noticing   the stand of the College that their names shall be included in the list   of   eligible   candidates.   After   receiving   the   aforesaid order dated 22.09.2016 a notice was also issued by the College 4 on their website on 23.09.2016.

5. The   notice   dated   23.09.2016   represented   to   the   students that   applications   from   all   those   with   proof   of   (i)   their unsuccessful   attempts   for   registration   and   (ii)   with   demand draft   taken   before   the   scheduled   cut   off   date,   shall   be accepted   by  the  College.   The   appellants  in   pursuance   of  the notice 23.09.2016 by the College submitted their applications along with proof that the demand drafts were taken before the scheduled   cut   off   date.   Supplementary   list   of   33   eligible students was published by the College on 27.09.2016 in which names   of   all   the   appellants   were   included.   The   College   had earlier   made   two   attempts   for   admission   in   the   Management quota/NRI quota but seats could not be filled up.

7. Then aggrieved by the order dated 03.06.2017, appellants filed Writ Petition (C) No.24133 of 2017 in which an interim order   was   passed   on   27.07.2017   permitting   the   appellants   to appear in the First Year MBBS Examination. The writ petition was ultimately dismissed by the Division Bench of Kerala High Court   vide   its   judgment   dated   04.01.2018   against   which   this appeal has been filed.

21. The order dated 22.09.2016 has to be treated as passed by the ASC in exercise of the abovesaid statutory power. It is true that in the order dated 22.09.2016, there was no clear direction   that   names   of   other   candidates   who   have   not   even submitted   complaints   should   be   included   or   any   fresh applications be invited but College taking guidance from the aforesaid   order   issued   the   notice   extending   the   similar protection   to   all   the   candidates   who   come   with   their 15 unsuccessful attempts for registration but with the rider that they should come up along with demand drafts taken before the scheduled cut off date.  The requirement of demand draft taken before   the   scheduled   cut   off   date   was   an   important   factor which   prohibited   the   candidates   who   had   never   thought   of making   an   application   in   the   College   to   come   up   with   their applications   with   any   fresh   demand   draft.   Notice   dated 23.09.2016 clearly prohibited all the candidates who had not taken demand draft prior to 09.09.2016 which was the last date of admission. In the present case College had filed details of demand drafts of the appellants and it was not disputed that they   submitted   their   applications   with   demand   drafts   taken before the last date of application. The High Court has taken a   view   that   since   they   have   not   made   on­line   applications prior to 09.09.2016 they were not entitled for admission and requirement of submitting on­line application was a condition which   having   not   been   fulfilled,   their   applications   were disapproved by the ASC and the High Court has also come to the conclusion that their applications were made after 09.09.2016 and   they   were   admitted   in   the   College   on   28.09.2016.   There cannot be any dispute that as per procedure prescribed and the interim   order   of   the   Kerala   High   Court   dated   26.08.2016 students   were   to   submit   admission   applications   to   the 16 respective   Colleges   on­line   and   the   admissions   were   to   be taken on merit as reflected in the NEET examination.

This   prompted   the   petitioner   to   file   a   writ petition in this Court.

28. In the result, we set aside the order of the High Court as well as the order of the Admission Supervisory Committee. The appeal is allowed.