The Speaker's ruling was prompted by tumultuous scenes in the House during question hour when Opposition members objected to certain remarks made by Public Health Minister Dr Daulatrao Aher. Leader of the Opposition Madhukar Pichad, along with Ashok Dhatrak (Congress), Sohel Lokhandwala (Samajwadi Party), Dada Jadhavrao (Janata Dal) and others rushed to the podium after Aher's reply, protesting against the remarks.

Pichad said the members had wanted to know about the government's policy on public-interest issues. He then went on to point out that part of the minister's reply, which Opposition members felt was Aher's ``challenge'' to them, and demanded an apology for the same. In a bid to calm down the agitating members, the Speaker ruled that Aher's remarks beexpunged.

Replying to another question, Aher said the government would conduct state-level entrance examinations for admissions to postgraduate medical courses from January 1999. The examinations will be conducted by the proposed Maharashtra Medical University, he added. The government had contacted the New Delhi-based National Board of Examination for conducting the examinations, he said. However, since there was no response from the Board, it was decided that the proposed medical university would conduct the exams, he said.

The candidates for the term beginning in January 1999 had already been selected, Aher informed the House, adding the government would keep in mind regional imbalances while filling the postgraduate medical seats.

Meanwhile, in the Legislative Council, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said a proposal to set up an electricity regulatory commission on the lines of a similar Central commission was being considered by the state government.

As the matter was still underconsideration, the jurisdiction and rights of the commission had not been framed, Munde said.

In view of the likely impact of such a commission, the ministry needed to discuss it at length, he added.