Supreme Court Strikes Down Domicile-Based Reservations in PG Medical Courses

The Supreme Court has declared domicile-based reservations in postgraduate medical courses unconstitutional, citing violations of Article 14. A three-judge bench emphasized merit-based admissions through the NEET exam for state quota seats. The judgment won't affect already awarded domicile reservations.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that domicile-based reservations for postgraduate medical courses are unconstitutional, citing a breach of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.

A three-judge bench, consisting of Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and SVN Bhatti, emphasized that state quota seats should be allocated based on merit, as determined by the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination.

The court clarified that while the decision applies to future admissions, it would not affect domicile reservations already granted. This ruling follows appeals against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's earlier decision declaring such reservations unconstitutional, a stance supported by the apex court's recent verdict.

(With inputs from agencies.)