more-in The Madras High Court has stayed the operation of proceedings issued by the Medical Council of India on September 7 and consequential action initiated by the Health Secretary in Puducherry to discharge students who had been admitted to Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2016-17 in violation of the admission norms. Justice B. Ravichandra Baabu granted the interim stay on writ petitions filed by a batch of 91 affected students. The judge ordered that the interim order would be in operation till October 23 and directed the MCI as well as the Government of Puducherry to file their counter affidavits by then. The petitioners were also ordered to file their rejoinder, if any. “Discharging these students from their course is undoubtedly a major penal action having drastic consequences on their academics. Certainly, such drastic action cannot be taken without following the principles of natural justice. Needless to say that having allowed the students to continue in their cases for one year... it would certainly cause prejudice in the event of their success in these writ petitions later. “On the other hand, if these students are permitted to continue the course by grant of an interim order and later, if they fail to succeed in these writ petitions, certainly, they have to leave the college without seeking for any equity,” the judge observed.

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