SC strikes down domicile-based reservation in PG medical admissions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that domicile or residence-based reservations for postgraduate medical courses within the State Quota are unconstitutional, as they violate the right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. The verdict, delivered by a Bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and SVN Bhatti, emphasized that merit should be the primary criterion for such admissions.

The Court clarified that all Indian citizens are entitled to the same rights, regardless of their state of residence, allowing individuals to pursue education and employment opportunities across the country. "We are all domiciled in India, and no one state can have exclusive rights over admissions," the Bench stated. It further emphasized that residence-based reservations in higher education are in violation of the Constitution, with such provisions limited to specific cases, like MBBS admissions in some instances.

However, the Court made it clear that its ruling would not impact reservations that have already been granted based on residence for previous academic sessions.

The case originated from a 2019 reference by a two-judge Bench, which raised several constitutional questions regarding the validity of domicile-based reservations in postgraduate medical courses. The queries included whether such reservations were permissible, and if so, the extent to which they could be implemented, especially in states with only one medical college.

The issue had arisen during the hearing of appeals against a Punjab and Haryana High Court decision related to postgraduate admissions at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh. The High Court had declared certain provisions in the college’s prospectus, related to domicile-based reservations, as invalid under the Union Territory of Chandigarh’s admission process.

In the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Nidhesh Gupta represented private respondents who argued that such reservation practices are constitutionally impermissible, consistent with the High Court’s ruling.

The Court's decision sets a significant precedent regarding how educational reservations should be structured, emphasizing fairness and merit in postgraduate medical admissions across the country.