A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court has stayed the Madhya Pradesh High Court order that barred a visually challenged student from studying medicine.

The road to becoming a doctor is finally clear for Nitin Mantri. This visually challenged student in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh now has the permission of the Supreme Court to finish his medical degree.

Mantri says, “I will fulfill the dreams of my parents and family members. They wanted me to be a doctor and now that the Supreme Court has endorsed our stand I will become a doctor."

Nitin has had to jump hurdles from the time he tried to enter medical school. He was denied admission despite scoring marks above the cut-off, and was admitted only after the Madhya Pradesh High Court said there was no rule excluding visually handicapped people from studying medicine.

The Medical Council of India appealed the ruling and a two-judge bench overruled the order after nine months. But now the Supreme Court has sealed the matter.

Petitioners Counsel Uttam Maheshwari says, “The decision to stop Mantri from studying medicine was unconstitutional. There are no rules for visually challenged and thankfully the Supreme Court has come to Mantri's rescue."

On Friday, Mantri returned to the Jabalpur Medical college, but the dean refused to meet him - a reminder, perhaps, that this is one student whose journey is far from over.