Special Correspondent
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declared the reservation based on ‘domicile’ for admission to postgraduate medical courses under the state quota as unconstitutional. The court emphasized that such a policy violates the constitutional right to equality.
A three-judge bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti delivered the verdict, underscoring the need for merit-based admissions in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for postgraduate medical courses.
Key Observations by the Court:
“Admission based on a student’s residence is completely unacceptable,” stated the bench. “Such arrangements undermine the right to equality enshrined in the Constitution. We are all citizens of India, and state or provincial residence should not be a factor in postgraduate medical education.”
The court noted that while limited domicile-based reservations may be acceptable for undergraduate courses like MBBS, postgraduate courses require a stricter merit-based approach due to the need for specialized medicalJustice Hrishikesh Roy, experts.
No Impact on Current Admissions:
The ruling, however, will not impact students who have already secured and cJustice Hrishikesh Roy,ompleted postgraduate medical admissions under the domicile quota. The court clarified that their futures would remain unaffected by the decision.
Quality of Education and Healthcare at Risk:
The bench expressed concerns that domicile-based reservations in postgraduate medical courses were adversely affecting the quality of medical education and healthcare in the country.
While the court allowed domicile-based reservations for undergraduate courses like NEET-UG and MBBS, it emphasized that this should remain limited and not be extended to postgraduate medical education.
This verdict reinforces the importance of merit in building a robust healthcare system by ensuring that the most qualified candidates receive advanced medical training.
