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In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court declared that domicile-based reservations in postgraduate (PG) medical courses, including NEET PG admissions, are unconstitutional. The court ruled that such reservations violate Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.
The decision has significant implications for NEET PG medical admissions in India. The court made it clear that PG medical admissions under state quotas must now be based entirely on merit, as determined through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
A three-judge bench, comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and SVN Bhatti, stated that requiring students to have a specific state domicile to be eligible for PG medical courses is a violation of the constitutional guarantee of equality. "Residence-based reservation in PG medical courses is clearly violative of Article 14," the bench stated.
The justices emphasized that all Indian citizens are domiciled in India, and there is no such thing as a "provincial" or "state" domicile. They noted that under Article 19 of the Constitution, every citizen has the right to live, work, and pursue a career anywhere in the country.
While the court acknowledged that some form of domicile-based reservation might be acceptable for undergraduate (MBBS) admissions, it firmly held that such policies should not apply to PG medical courses like NEET PG, where specialization requires a higher level of expertise. Imposing state-based reservations at this level is unconstitutional, according to the bench.
However, the court clarified that this ruling will not impact students who are already enrolled or have completed their PG medical education under the domicile reservation system. Those currently studying in PG medical courses or who have already graduated will not be affected by the ruling.
The case dates back to 2019, when a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court was asked to review appeals related to domicile-based reservations for PG medical admissions in Chandigarh. At that time, the court referred the matter to a larger bench, and the three-judge bench has now provided a final and authoritative ruling on the issue.
This decision ensures that NEET PG medical admissions will now be merit-based, without the influence of state-specific domicile requirements.
