( 1 ) THE dispute, in these petitions, which are filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, relates to admission to Post Graduate Degrees and Diploma medical courses at the medical colleges affiliated to (i) Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, (ii) Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, (iii) Saurashtra University, Rajkot, and (iv) South Gujarat University, Surat.

( 2 ) SPECIAL Civil Application No. 5607/96 is filed as public interest litigation by an Association claiming to be a registered Association of the students undergoing studies in medical courses at Pramukh Swami Medical College, Karamsad, which is affiliated to Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar - Anand, District : Kheda. The main relief claimed therein is that as the rule enabling the above-referred to universities to give preference to their own students in the matter of giving admission to the post graduate medical courses, is unconstitutional, the Universities should be restrained from enforcing that rule and the universities should be directed to consider the students who have passed final M. B. B. S. examination from Pramukh Swami Medical College, Karamsad on merits, while givin