Casual approach: SC; summons govt official

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the personal presence of the director general of the Centre’s Directorate General of Health Services while flagging the “casual approach” over the grant of admission to a medical aspirant from the disability category.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan directed the officer to remain present before it at around 10.30 am on December 12. “It is unfortunate that in the matter concerning admission of the petitioner belonging to the persons with disability category, in spite of notice being duly served, none appears,” the bench said in its order.

It said normally, the court did not direct the government officials to remain present in the court. “... in view of the casual approach of respondent number 2, we are compelled to direct the personal presence of the Director General, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi in this court on December 12 at 10.30 am,” it said.

The top court, which asked the registrar concerned to ensure its order was communicated to the director general. The bench was hearing a petition challenging a September 23 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which dismissed a plea filed by the aspirant for admission to the MBBS course for the 2024-25 academic session.

The high court noted the challenge in the matter was over the disability certificate and observed a similar question was previously decided by the high court in a separate matter and relief was denied primarily on the ground that opinion of experts in the field of disability couldn’t substitute the court’s opinion.