Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Thursday stayed counselling for admissions into super specialty DM/MCh courses in AP and Telangana state through the NTR Health University at Vijayawada and Kaloji Narayana Rao University at Warangal. Counselling was scheduled to commence from Friday. A division bench comprising Justice V. Rama-subramanian and Justice T. Rajani granted the interim stay while dealing with a petition by Dr B. Satish Kumar and 12 others aspirants for DM/MCh courses challenging a letter issued by the Centre directing both the varsities to conduct common counselling for all seats of Neet-Super Speciality-2017 at the national level.

Mr Sarasani Satyam Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioners, said the Centre had no right to order the state governments to conduct common counselling for the courses at the national level. He contended that by virtue of the Presidential Order and the 1979 Circular, eligibility for the courses in TS and AP was confined to candidates having domicile in their respective states.

He said that as per the Six Point Formula of the Constitution of India, as amended by 32nd Amendment that inserted Article 371-D, special provisions had been made in respect of Andhra Pradesh which provides equal opportunities in different parts of the state in the matter of public employment and education. On August 11, the bench had sought the stand of the Centre on the petition. When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday counsel for the Centre sought time to file the the counter affidavit.

Mr Sarasani Satyam Reddy submitted that if the admission process was allowed to be continued, it will cause irreparable loss to the petitioners. While granting the interim stay, the bench directed the Centre to file the counter-affidavit before August 23 and posted the case to August 24.