Bombay HC upholds first year admissions at Govt Law College
Observing that it would be "not proper" to upset the already completed admission process for the first of the five-year law course at the city-based Government Law College (GLC), the Bombay High Court today upheld the admissions.
A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and R Y Ganoo dismissed a petition, filed by one Swati Khinwasara, challenging deduction of 5 per cent marks of the students from boards outside Maharashtra. The college had earlier reworked the merit list sans any deductions and submitted it to the high court. While upholding the admissions, the HC remarked, "It only reinforces apprehension expressed by the Advisory Committee that Maharashtra students would be at a disadvantage." The first and only candidate to secure admission from Maharashtra board in the reworked list "finds place at the position as low as serial number 35", the HC said.
The bench observed the reworked list indicates "palpable disparity" which can be corrected only by deduction of 5 per cent marks of the candidates from other boards. "This disparity is still worse considering the fact that the number of students appearing through Maharashtra Board are substantially higher as compared to the negligible number of candidates from other boards," the court said. It further said that even if the petitioners' contention that the process adopted by the college was improper accepted, it would "not be proper" for this court to upset the admission process which has already been completed for this year. The college has commenced lectures from July 4.
