The fate of thousands of students aspiring to become doctors hung in balance as the Supreme Court on Thursday directed postponement of the second round of counselling for the 15 per cent All India Medical Quota Scheme seats in all states.

The SC bench, comprising Justice R C Lahoti and Justice Ashok Bhan, was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra government legislation unilaterally withdrawing from the All India Medical Quota Scheme.

The Union Government had filed an application before the court stating that such unilateral withdrawal from the scheme would upset the entire scheme.

Appearing on behalf of the Maharashtra government, senior advocate Harish Salve also told the court that the state government has frozen admissions to all state-run medical and dental colleges for 2003-04.

In view of this development, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), which was implementing the scheme, would postpone the second round of counselling earlier scheduled for July 18.

The second round of counselling for the All India Quota as well as admissions to medical and dental colleges in Maharashtra would now depend on the outcome of the hearing of the petitions before the apex court.