Supreme Court Strikes Down Domicile Quotas for PG Medical Admissions

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New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that domicile-based reservations in postgraduate (PG) medical courses are unconstitutional, stating they violate Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and SVN Bhatti emphasized that state quota seats must be allocated based on merit in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG).

“We are all domiciles of India. There is no concept of provincial or state domicile. The Constitution grants us the right to reside anywhere in the country, pursue any profession, and seek admission to educational institutions across India,” the court observed in its ruling.

While the verdict nullifies domicile-based reservations for future admissions, the court clarified that students who have already been granted domicile reservations will not be affected.

The ruling came in response to a petition challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court decision that had earlier struck down domicile reservations in PG medical admissions.

NEET-PG serves as the single-window entrance exam for admission to MD, MS, PG Diploma, Post-MBBS DNB, direct six-year DrNB courses, and NBEMS Diploma programs across India.

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