Can colour blind students be allowed to pursue medical courses, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Medical Council of India (MCI).

A division bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar asked the MCI to inform it of its decision before September 12, the next date of hearing.The apex court's query comes after an expert committee of senior doctors, appointed by the court, opined that such students could be allowed to pursue the MBBS courses.

Calling the rule barring colour-blind people from medicine "regressive", the panel said the guidelines need to be revived and that many other countries allow colour-blind students into medical courses.The court was hearing a plea by two medical aspirants who were denied admission after clearing the entrance examination in 2015 as they were suffering from partial colour blindness.They had first approached Tripura High Court which had turned down their plea.