In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declared domicile-based reservations in postgraduate (PG) medical courses unconstitutional, stating that they violate Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. The verdict establishes that state quotas for PG medical admissions must be solely based on merit in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG).
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy, Sudhanshu Dhulia, and SVN Bhatti ruled that state-imposed domicile requirements in PG medical programmes violate the fundamental right to equality and cannot be justified under the law.
Court Upholds a Unified Domicile for India
The bench firmly stated that there is no provincial or state domicile in India. "We are all domiciles in the territory of India. There is only one domicile. We are all residents of India," the court observed, reinforcing the constitutional right of every citizen to reside, trade, and pursue a profession anywhere in the country, as granted under Article 19 of the Constitution.
NEET-PG to Be Sole Criteria for Admission
The judgment clarifies that PG medical admissions will be strictly based on merit, with NEET-PG scores serving as the primary criterion. The court emphasized that state governments cannot impose domicile-based restrictions, as doing so limits students' fundamental rights to seek education across the country.
This decision is expected to have a significant impact on medical education policies, particularly for states that previously reserved PG medical seats for their domiciled candidates. With this ruling, medical aspirants will now have equal opportunities across states, ensuring a more transparent and merit-driven admission process.
The verdict marks a crucial step towards uniformity in medical education, preventing regional favoritism and ensuring that PG medical courses admit the most qualified candidates irrespective of their state of residence.