Udaipur, January 29, 2025 - The Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot give domicile-based reservations in PG medical courses. This means that students cannot get special admission benefits just because they are residents of a particular state. The court said that reserving PG medical seats based on residence is unconstitutional because it violates Article 14, which guarantees equality to all citizens.

Admission Must Be Based on NEET Merit

The Supreme Court made it clear that PG medical admissions under the state quota must be based on NEET exam scores and not on domicile. The court referred to earlier cases (Pradeep Jain and Saurabh Chandra cases) that also ruled against domicile-based reservations in PG medical courses.

"We are all domiciles in the territory of India. There is nothing like a provincial or state domicile. There is only one domicile. We are all residents of India. We have the right to choose residence anywhere in India and to carry out trade and profession anywhere in the country. Constitution also gives us the right to choose admission in educational institutions across India. The benefit of reservation in educational institutions, including medical colleges, for those who reside in a particular state can be given to a certain degree only in MBBS courses. But considering the importance of specialised doctors in PG medical courses, reservation in higher levels on the basis of residence would be violative of Article 14 of the Constitution." Justice Dhulia read out the reasoning of the judgment.

No Impact on Past Admissions

The court clarified that this ruling will not affect students who are already studying or have completed their PG medical courses under previous domicile reservations. This judgment ensures fairness in medical admissions, giving every student an equal opportunity based on merit, not residency.

Source: Media Reports