NEET PG Admissions: Supreme Court Strikes Down Domicile-Based Reservations as Unconstitutional

In a significant ruling on Wednesday, January 29, the Supreme Court struck down domicile-based reservations in postgraduate (PG) medical seats, declaring them unconstitutional for violating Article 14 of the Constitution.

A bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, and Justice SVN Bhatti categorically stated, “Residence-based reservations in PG medical courses clearly violate Article 14 of the Constitution.” The bench emphasized that reserving PG medical admissions under the State quota based on domicile status is impermissible under constitutional principles.

The Court ruled that State quota seats must be allocated strictly on the basis of merit determined by the NEET exam. In its verdict, the three-judge bench reaffirmed the legal precedent set in the Pradeep Jain and Saurabh Chandra cases.

“We are all domiciles of India. There is no provincial or state domicile—only one national domicile. The Constitution grants every citizen the right to reside anywhere in the country, pursue trade and profession across India, and seek admission to educational institutions nationwide,” Justice Dhulia stated while delivering the judgment’s reasoning.

The bench further clarified that while limited domicile-based reservations may apply to MBBS courses, extending such reservations to PG medical courses contradicts constitutional principles. “Given the critical need for specialized doctors, imposing residential-based reservations at the PG level would infringe upon Article 14 of the Constitution,” the judgment asserted.

However, the Court assured that the ruling would not impact students who have already secured admission or completed their PG courses under the domicile quota. Those currently enrolled in PG medical programs under residence-based reservations will remain unaffected by this decision.