ORDER

1. Leave granted. Heard counsel for the parties.

2. Having regard to the broader considerations of equality of opportunity, this Court directed in Dr Pradeep Jain v. Union of India1 that a certain percentage of seats in the post-graduate medical courses should be made available to the candidates on the basis of All India competition. The percentage was later determined at 25%. In Dr Dinesh Kumar v. Motilal Nehru Medical College2 this Court prescribed a schedule for the All India competitive examination, which was modified in certain respects in Dr Dinesh Kumar v. Motilal Nehru Medical College3. In subsequent decisions, this Court has been impressing upon the concerned authorities the necessity of adhering to the time-frame prescribed in the matter of holding All India competitive examination and for making admissions.

3. According to the system in vogue, a candidate who applies for admission in the All India quota is required to indicate eight medical colleges and six subjects, in the order of preference, to which he seeks admission. There are seventy medical colleges/institutions and forty specialities. The post-graduate courses comprise degree courses as well as diploma course