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Supreme Court Strikes Down Domicile Reservation for Medical PG Admissions

The Supreme Court of India has struck down domicile-based reservation for postgraduate medical courses. It has ruled that this violates Article 14 of the Constitution. This means admissions would be purely on merit and NEET scores. Existing students admitted under this quota would not be affected, however.
 
Supreme Court medical reservation

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India has declared that domicile-based reservation for postgraduate medical admissions is unconstitutional because it violates Article 14, which guarantees equality before the law.

A three-judge bench consisting of Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, and Justice SVN Bhatti delivered this verdict while stressing that students must have the freedom to choose educational institutions across India without state-based restrictions.

Freedom to Choose Residence and Education

The Supreme Court categorically upheld that each and every citizen in India is free to reside in whichever part of India they choose. The court has observed the following:

"We all are inhabitants of India. There is nothing like residency over state for studies and livelihood. A man has full liberty to dwell anywhere in India and read anywhere and make his living."

This judgment will ensure that students competing for PG admissions will compete purely on merit and there would be no domicile quota imposed by the state.

Reservations for Undergraduate Courses

The court did abolish domicile reservation for PG medical courses, but in the case of undergraduate courses, it held that state-based reservations could still be considered. In the case of specialized medical fields, however, residency-based reservations at a higher level would be unconstitutional and violate Article 14.

Admissions Based on Merit of NEET

The Supreme Court further clarified that PG medical admissions will now be purely based on NEET scores instead of state-allocated domicile quotas. This is an attempt to bring in fairness and equal opportunities for all students.

Impact on Future Admissions

The ruling will only apply to future admissions. Students who have already secured seats under the domicile quota will not be affected, nor will those currently pursuing their medical degrees under this reservation.

Also Read: Kerala Double Murder: Man Kills Neighbor and His Mother Over Black Magic Suspicion

This verdict is likely to streamline medical admissions, ensuring a merit-based selection process while making sure that specialist doctors are chosen purely on academic performance and capability rather than state residency.

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