Authority: High Court of Odisha, Cuttack
Order Date: 14 August 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioner: Dhenkanal Academy Medical Science, Dhenkanal, seeking renewal of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for its Master in Public Health course for the academic session 2026‑27.
- Opposite Parties: State of Odisha, Director, Medical Education and Training (DMET), State Board of Pharmacy.
- Original statutory deadline for NOC application: 15 January 2026; no extension was granted by the authorities.
- Admission process for the academic year continues until 30 September 2026, raising concerns about institutional survival and student admissions.
- Counsel for DMET argued that the deadline is mandatory and cannot be extended; the court considered equitable factors.
Final Outcome
- The Court, exercising its equitable jurisdiction, grants a one‑time extension allowing the petitioner to apply for renewal of the NOC despite missing the statutory deadline.
- The petitioner must submit the application, requisite statutory fees, and an additional penalty of ₹50,000 (over and above any regular fees) by 24 August 2026.
- Applications must be filed both electronically (website copy) and in hard copy with scanned/soft copies of all documents, using accepted payment modes (Demand Draft, IMPS, RTGS, NEFT, etc.).
- The authorities are directed to act on the applications received by 24 August 2026 and render a decision by 11 September 2026.
- If the petitioner is found eligible, the approval shall be notified on the relevant council’s website and admission procedures.
- The order is expressly limited to the present case; no further extensions will be granted to any institution, and the order carries no precedential value.
Topics: Court Order, NOC Renewal, Medical Education