OCI cardholders eligible to apply for medical, engineering seats, Karnataka govt tells HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government clarified before the High Court that all students having Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards can be considered for admission to medical, dental and engineering course in government and private colleges at undergraduate level for 2024-25.
The advocate appearing for the government made the submission before the High Court bench while hearing a petition filed by Abhidyu Gowda Mandya Chandrashekar, who holds an OCI card and is studying in Mandya in Karnataka from the past over 10 years. The student had filed the petition challenging a clause in a January 2024 notification of the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) with regard to the Common Entrance Test (CET) this year, which stated that government seat eligibility for OCI/PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) candidates would be in accordance with the directions of the government.
Advocate Ajoy Kumar Patil, who appeared for the petitioner, arguing that the clause was contrary to the law laid down by the High Court and the Supreme Court, pointed out that a Division Bench of the High Court had stated in 2020 that OCI students should be treated on par with Indian citizens, abiding by the then notifications issued by the Union government under the Citizenship Act.
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Patil also said that the Supreme Court had passed a judgement in 2023 had declared that the March 2021 notification of the Union government under the Citizenship Act that all OCI/PIO students were eligible for admission to professional courses in the country under the NRI category operated prospectively. The Court had also clarified that the notification could not be enforced on OCI cardholders born before March 21, 2021, he pointed out.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
