Supreme Court Declares Domicile-Based Medical Reservations Unconstitutional

The Supreme Court ruled that state-implemented domicile-based reservations for postgraduate medical courses are unconstitutional, citing a violation of students' fundamental rights. The bench emphasized that such reservations should only apply to a certain degree in undergraduate courses, maintaining merit-based admissions for PG courses.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has declared that domicile-based reservations in postgraduate medical courses are unconstitutional. This ruling emphasizes the importance of upholding the fundamental rights of students across the nation.

A bench composed of Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and S V N Bhatti found that these reservations breach Article 14 of the Constitution, which protects the right to equality. Allowing states to reserve seats based on residence would introduce inequality among students from different states.

The court's decision followed questions raised about admissions at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. The judgment ensures that merit-based criteria will primarily govern postgraduate medical admissions, beyond the limited state quota allowances valid for MBBS courses.

(With inputs from agencies.)