The Delhi High Court Tuesday set March 31 as the deadline to reconstitute the Medical Council of India (MCI) and asked four defaulting states and five member universities to conduct their elections to facilitate reconstitution of the apex body of medical professionals.
The bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H.R. Malhotra, while adjudicating a public interest petition by a medical professional, Dr Girish Tyagi, also directed the central government and MCI to ensure funds for the election.Dr Tyagi had sought early reconstitution of the MCI, due for almost a year.
The court issued the directions in the presence of representatives of four defaulting states - Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu - and member universities of Delhi, Allahabad and Gorakhpur, besides Devi Ahilya University of Indore and Bhopal's Barkhtullah University.
They had been issued bailable warrants on Feb 14. After they assured the court to conduct the elections, these were cancelled.
According to the MCI counsel, the other states and member universities were largely adhering to the schedule to conduct the election by the due date.
Meanwhile, the court issued notice to Kerala health secretary and state's medical education director to be present during next hearing on March 1. Kerala is a defaulting state, which failed to appear in the court.
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The court said wherever there was difficulty in finding an official to conduct the election, the state's medical education director would act as the returning officer.
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