Judgment

K. Venkataswami, J.-Special leave granted.

2. All these eight appeals arise out of a common order dated 26.11.98 of the Punjab and Haryana High Court made in CWP Nos. 12304, 12350, 13775, 13296, 12350 of 1998. The Chandigarh Administration and Another (hereinafter called the ‘appel­lants’) have preferred four appeals and the individuals affected by the order under appeal have filed sepa­rately four appeals. The common issue relates to the admission of the candidates to the MBBS course for the year 1998-99 in the Government Medical College, Chandigarh (hereinafter called the ‘College’).

3. Brief facts leading to the filing of the Writ Petitions are as under.

The Government Medical College, Chandigarh, was started in the year 1991 with an annual intake of 50 MBBS seats. 15% of the seats (7 seats) were being filled by the College from the All India Quota seats in accordance with the decision of this Court from the year 1991 upto 1994 by admitting students selected through the Combined Entrance Test conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi. It appears that from the year 1994-1995 onwards the Direcotrate of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, did no