Hegde, J. - (1.) In these two petitions under Art. 32 of the Constitution the petitioners who unsuccessfully sought admission to certain Medical Colleges in the State of Tamil Nadu have asked for a writ of mandamus to direct the State of Tamil Nadu to allot to each one of them a seat in one of the Government Medical Colleges in that State and for consequential orders.
(2.) In the State of Tamil Nadu, there are eight Medical Colleges out of which three are situate in the city of Madras, one in Madurai, one in Chingleput, one in Coimbatore, one in Thanjavur and one in Tirunelveli. The total seats available in Madras Colleges are 500. The sanctioned strength of seats in Madurai, Chingleput, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli are 200,50,100, 200 and 75 respectively. Thus the total number of medical seats available in the Government Colleges for 1st year of M. B. B. S. course in the State of Tamil Nadu are 1125. We understand that for these seats nearly 7,000 students applied for admission.
(3.) In the previous years except in the year 1967-68, selection of candidates for admission to the lst year M. B. B. S. course was done on State wise basis. In the year 1967-68, the seats were distributed on district-wise basis but that scheme was held to be invalid by this Court in Minor P. Rajendran v. State of Madras, (1968) 2 SCR 786 . Thereafter the selection was again made on State-wise basis in the years 1968-69 and 1969-70 but in the current year that system was given up and selection was directed to be made on the basis of what is known as unit-wise basis. Under the present scheme the Medical Colleges in the city of Madras were constituted as one unit and each one of the other Medical Colleges in the mofussil was constituted as a unit. Thus six units were created in the State. In respect of each one of the units a separate selection committee was constituted. The intending applicants were asked to apply to any one of the committees but they were advised to apply to the committee nearest to their place of residence as far as possible. They were told that if they applied to more than one committee their applications will be forwarded by the Government to only one of the committees.;