Supreme Court Seeks Viable Solution for CPS Students’ Fate
New Delhi: On September 12, 2025, the Supreme Court of India directed the intervention of the Attorney General for India, R. Venkataramani, to explore a solution ensuring the future of students enrolled in courses offered by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai. This development comes after the Bombay High Court upheld the derecognition of CPS courses, leading to uncertainty for hundreds of students awaiting examinations.
Background of Derecognition and Controversy
The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) had derecognized all CPS courses on August 16, 2024, citing failure to comply with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. The show-cause notice emphasized that while the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) operates as a statutory body under the NMC, the CPS is a non-government organization lacking authority to conduct examinations or grant medical qualifications.
Earlier this year, the Bombay High Court dismissed CPS’s plea challenging the derecognition and allowed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dr. Suhas Pingle, a former MMC president, who contested the permission granted to CPS for conducting 10 additional PG courses. The HC held that CPS could only restart courses if it strictly complied with regulatory norms.
Supreme Court Plea and Key Arguments
Challenging the High Court order, CPS filed a plea before the Supreme Court. Senior Advocates Vikas Singh and Sanjay R. Hegde argued that the future of hundreds of CPS students was at stake, urging the Court to allow the conduct of examinations pending final decision.
The Attorney General submitted that he would explore possibilities for regularizing the process to ensure exams could be conducted smoothly. He requested two to three weeks to propose a solution safeguarding student interests without deciding the larger validity of CPS courses.
The Supreme Court bench remarked:
“Our first endeavour is to ensure students are not left in the lurch amidst this litigation. We have requested the learned Attorney General to work out a viable arrangement to protect the interests of students already enrolled and awaiting the examination.”
The matter is now listed for further hearing on October 8, 2025.
