The Supreme Court has directed the National Medical Council to convene a panel of domain experts to investigate a petition for evolving modes of disability assessment of students with mental illnesses, special learning disorders (SLD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for granting quotas in admission to MBBS courses.

Mr. Vishal Gupta filed the appeal after being refused reservation in admission to the MBBS program under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act because the degree of his mental impairment was 55%, which renders him unfit for admission to a medical institution.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice P.S. Narasimha, and Justice J.B. Pardiwala took note of the plea submitted by lawyer Mr. Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who appeared on behalf of the MBBS aspirant. The plea noted that people suffering from SLD and ASD cannot be treated so inhumanely and denied quota benefits under the statute.

The bench took note of the plea submitted by the counsel for the NMC (National Medical Council) that a committee had been formed to review the regulations on graduate medical education and that the subject was now at an advanced stage of debate and decision-making.

On May 18, the apex court ordered that the National Medical Commission treat the petitioners grievance in this proceeding as a representation. The court noted that they should consider the grievance at an appropriate level while dealing with the regulations on graduate medical education.

Furthermore, the court ordered that the judicial body be apprised of the decision that has been taken and that a status report of the outcome be filed by July 17, 2023.

(Source:https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/quota-for-mentally-ill-in-mbbs-admissions-sc-asks-nmc-to-set-up-panel/100438409 )