V.B.R. MENON Vs. DR. S. SHARAVANAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The question before us is whether the alleged contemnors, impleaded as respondents, are in wilful and deliberate violation of the order dated 16.6.2017 passed by this Bench in the writ petition, being W.P.No.14232 of 2017, filed by Mr. V.B.R. Menon, advocate, as a public interest litigation.

(2.) The writ petition pertains to admission of students to the Post Graduate Courses in Medical Colleges, which are self-financed deemed universities. Considering that the medical colleges which were self-financed deemed universities were charging exorbitant fees ranging from Rs. 40 to 50 lakhs per annum, this Bench directed that a Fee Committee be constituted by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Human Resource Department to study the fee structure of the deemed universities and determine the fees that should be charged. Pending such determination, we passed an interim order directing the deemed universities to admit the students provisionally selected and successful in the admission tests/counselling to the vacant seats in order of their merit, subject to the condition that the students shall each deposit Rs. 10 Lakhs at the time of admission towards annual fee for the first year with the Centralised Admission Committee (hereinafter referred to as "CENTAC" and subject to the further condition that in the event the fees determined by the Fee Committee that might be constituted by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Human Resources Department to study the fee structure of the deemed universities was higher, they would pay the differential amount.

(3.) It appears that the seats in all the deemed universities were filled up before the date of the interim order save and except one seat in Radiology; two seats in Orthopaedics; and one seat in E.N.T. in Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Science, Puducherry.