Rajive Bhalla, J. - (1.) The petitioner, a candidate for admission to the MBBS course, offered by the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, in the category of Christian Minority Punjab candidates, inter-alia prays for quashing of clause 11(a) of the Prospectus, Annexure P-4, which requires a christian candidate to obtain a mandatory sponsorship letter from sponsoring bodies/churches, referred to in the prospectus, failing which admission shall not be granted.
(2.) Counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is a christian by birth, born into a christian family on 30.11.1992, baptised as per the certificate of baptism (Annexure P-2), is member of the United Church of Northern Indian since birth as evidenced by the Church membership certificate, Annexure P-3, has also cleared the Bible test, which is mandatory for Christian candidates and fulfills all eligibility conditions required for obtaining admission as a Christian Minority-Punjab candidate except for the condition contained in clause 11(a) of the prospectus that requires a Christian candidate to obtain a sponsorship certificate from bodies/Churches referred to in the prospectus.
(3.) Counsel for the petitioner further submits that the petitioner's father is a priest in a Church. With his help, the petitioner approached various sponsoring bodies but was denied a sponsorship letter as he could not meet their demands. The petitioner, therefore, left the column, relating to sponsorship, blank while submitting his form, for the entrance examination. The respondent-college did not raise any objection, issued an admit card and allowed the petitioner to sit for the qualifying examination, held on 27.05.2011. The petitioner has secured third position in the category of Christian Minority-Punjab.;