New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its discontent in connection with the repeated absence of the Centre's advocates in several cases.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said the court does not take pleasure in summoning the officers to the court. “However, when in spite of being duly served, the respondents do not put in appearance, we were compelled to do so," it said.
On Wednesday, the bench sought the presence of the director general of the Centre's Directorate General of Health Services while criticizing the "casual approach" in a matter concerning admission of a medical aspirant belonging to persons with disability category.
During the hearing on Thursday, Centre's counsel additional solicitor general Vikramjit Banerjee and the government officer appeared before the bench.
Justice Gavai said, “What is this? Notices are served and you don't even bother to appear”. The bench stressed that this is not happening for the first time, and added, “on many occasions, for the Union of India, nobody is present here".
The bench said it had passed the order directing the officer to remain present as despite being duly served, no lawyer had appeared for the authority during the hearing on December 11.
The court said it waited till 4 pm for the counsel's appearance but when nobody appeared for the Centre, despite there being many lawyers present, it passed the order.
"The presence of the officer is dispensed with," the bench said in its order. "We expect you to respond….when a matter pertains to persons with disability", the bench said.
The bench further said, “Why don't you assign some panel counsel to some courts so that at least when we require somebody's assistance, somebody can be there immediately”.
The bench, while dealing with the plea of the aspirant belonging to the persons with disability category, directed his admission in a government medical college in Rajasthan.
On December 11, the Supreme Court sought the personal presence of the director general of the Centre's Directorate General of Health Services while deploring the "casual approach" in connection with the grant of admission to a medical aspirant from the disability category.
The bench directed the officer to remain present before it at around 10.30 am on December 12.
"It is unfortunate that in the matter concerning admission of the petitioner belonging to the persons with disability category, in spite of notice being duly served, none appears," the bench said in its order.
"... in view of the casual approach of respondent number 2, we are compelled to direct the personal presence of the Director General, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi in this court on December 12 at 10.30 am," said the bench. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by one Anmol through advocate Atif Inam.
The apex court passed the order on a plea against an order passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 23, dismissing a plea filed by the aspirant for admission to the MBBS course for the 2024-25 academic session.
