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Rejoinders thereto, if any, may be filed within two weeks thereafter.

2. Mr. Apoorve Karol, learned counsel for the petitioners, seeks certain ad interim directions in view of the respondents' delay in filing counter- affidavits. He refers to the rejoinder filed by him to the affidavit filed by the Union of India ["UOI"]. According to him, the petitioner nos. 6 to 18 have completed their Fellowship courses ["FCPS"] from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mumbai ["CPS, Mumbai"]. They would have been qualified to take the DNB Final Examination pursuant to a notice dated 02.07.2021 issued by the National Board of Examinations ["NBE"] but for the restrictions placed upon the status of FCPS as a qualifying examination for the DNB Final Examination. The validity of the restriction is pending adjudication in this petition. Mr. Karol requests that petitioner nos. 6 to 18 be permitted to take the ensuing DNB Final Examination, but their result may be withheld until the decision in the writ petition.

3. Although no separate application for such relief has been filed, I have considered the submission in view of the fact that the academic career of the concerned doctors is being impeded, and that the respondents have delayed the filing of their affidavits.

4. The question, so far as grant of an interim order is concerned, is whether the FCPS qualification granted by the CPS, Mumbai is to be treated as equivalent to the MD/MS degrees conferred by medical colleges recognised by the National Medical Commission ["NMC"]. It is undisputed that the FCPS degree is recognised by the NMC for the purposes of medical practice. However, the NBE by the impugned clause 4.3.2 of the Information Bulletin dated 19.01.2021 [which is consistent with the Information Bulletin for the August 2021 examination also], has taken the position that the FCPS qualification is not equivalent to the MD/MS degree. The UOI has also decided the issue in the same way by its impugned letter dated 30.04.2021. The NMC takes the same view.

10. Mr. Karol has also cited an order dated 09.04.2021 passed by a coordinate bench of this Court in W.P.(C) 4252/2021 [Dr. Umang Litoriya & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors.]. The Court was concerned therein with the equivalence between the postgraduate diploma qualifications of the CPS, Mumbai with the postgraduate diploma qualification offered by medical colleges. The Court granted a limited interim order permitting the petitioners therein to apply for enrolment in the DNB-PDCET examination, subject to the result of the writ petition. It may be mentioned that the equivalence of the aforesaid diploma qualifications have since been recognised by the UOI vide order dated 30.04.2021, the UOI has held the diploma qualifications of the CPS, Mumbai equivalent to corresponding diploma qualifications, but come to a contrary conclusion with regard to equivalence of the FCPS qualification.