PANAJI, AUG 8: The Goa Government's recent decision to raise the OBC quota in the state-run professional colleges from nine per cent to 15 per cent, suffered a setback as the High Court has prohibited the State from giving effect to its decision in the current academic year.

In a significant ruling, the bench consisting of Justice A V Savant and Justice R M S Khandeparkar, said that the amendment to the prospectus to give effect to such changes cannot be done at the last minute but must be carried out well in advance. Applying the same norm, the court also ``stayed'' the creation of one seat for NRI Goans in the Goa Medical College (GMC) from taking effect from this year.

The court orders came on a batch of petitions filed by five candidates from Goa Medical College and Goa Dental College.

Following the court orders, seats reserved for OBCs in the GMC would stand reduced to six instead of 11, while the newly created NRI seat would revert to the general category for this academic year. The judges directed that in future to avoid disruptions in the admission process and litigation, the State Government should carry out any intended changes in the prospectus by January-end.

The petitions were filed by Vasudev alias Ameya S Kamat, Avinash Dubhashi, A Menezes, Rajkumar D Naik, alleging that the amendment of the prospectus which had been published on June 2 through newspaper advertisements, was illegal and unconstitutional.

The bench directed the State Government that the seat reservations for OBCs should be worked out on the basis of availability of seats at the disposal of the State Government, and not on the basis of the total intake capacity of the institution. Increase in the OBC quota in the medical college was approved by the State Cabinet on June 2.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.