The Supreme Court has stayed the MP High Court’s order halting admissions in paramedical courses, questioning the petitioners’ locus. Admissions for 2023–24 and 2024–25 can now proceed in Madhya Pradesh.
New Delhi: On August 1, the Supreme Court of India allowed the resumption of the admission process for paramedical courses in Madhya Pradesh for the academic years 2023–24 and 2024–25.
This decision came after the Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier put a stay on the process through an order passed on July 16.
The High Court at Jabalpur had taken action after a petition was filed by the Law Students’ Association, raising concerns over the recognition and admission of paramedical institutions in the state.
The matter reached the Supreme Court where a bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran heard the arguments. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Registrar of the Madhya Pradesh Paramedical Council, strongly opposed the High Court’s order.
He informed the apex court that the petitioners — who were law students — had no direct connection to the issue.
He argued that it was a drastic decision based on a petition by individuals who had “no locus” in the matter.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Gavai raised a pointed question, asking,
“How can law students file such a petition?”
This statement directly questioned the legitimacy of the petition filed in the High Court. Acting on the submissions, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order and allowed the admission process to continue.
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The Supreme Court also issued notices to the state government and other concerned parties, seeking their responses in the matter.
The original issue began when the Madhya Pradesh High Court took serious note of the Paramedical Council’s move to permit 166 paramedical institutions to begin their academic sessions for the year 2023–24, even though these institutions were granted formal recognition only in 2025. The High Court had found this timeline to be unreasonable.
While examining the July 14, 2024, order of the Paramedical Council that allowed 166 institutions to start courses for the 2023–24 academic year, the High Court questioned the logic behind it.
It stated,
“It belies all logic, sensibility and questions the sanity of a reasonable man how these institutions could be allowed to start the course for the year 2023-24 in the year 2025.”
The High Court had also observed that the original academic schedule for these courses was from November 2023 to October 2024.
According to the Council’s own regulations, the last date for institutions to apply for recognition was December 31, 2023. Yet, recognition was being granted retrospectively in 2025, which the High Court said defied all common sense.
In defense, Senior Advocate Rohatgi highlighted the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining that the paramedical courses could not be initiated on time due to the public health crisis.
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He emphasized that the Paramedical Council is the sole authority responsible for granting recognition to institutions and managing the admission process.
He told the Supreme Court that the High Court’s decision had completely halted the functioning of the Council, saying,
“the impugned order of the high court has brought everything to a standstill.”
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