The Madhya Pradesh High Court has set aside a 2013 decision cancelling a medical candidate’s admission over a domicile dispute, ordering Rani Durgavati University in Jabalpur to issue her MBBS degree and marksheet more than a decade after she completed her coursework.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal ruled on Wednesday in favor of Shailja Pandey, treating her petition as a special case. The bench noted that Pandey had transparently disclosed all relevant facts regarding her residency in Madhya Pradesh at the time of admission, making any post-completion cancellation unjustified.
According to the petition, Pandey secured admission after submitting a domicile certificate issued by the competent authority. However, the college raised objections regarding her eligibility midway through the program, ultimately leading to the June 13, 2013 cancellation order.
The high court observed that the issuing authority mistakenly prioritized an auxiliary condition—attending an educational institution in the state for a minimum of three years—over the primary domicile criteria. The judges emphasized that the candidate could not be faulted for an error made by the issuing authority and asserted that any eligibility concerns ought to have been addressed prior to enrolment rather than after the completion of her education.
Evaluating Fitness to Practice
Although the release of the degree confirms her medical qualifications, the court highlighted that active medical practice requires valid registration with regulatory bodies. Pandey has been unable to practice medicine for over 13 years due to the withholding of her degree and lack of registration.
To address the prolonged gap since her graduation, the high court instructed the National Medical Commission to assess whether Pandey remains fit to practice medicine.
The commission has been authorized to direct the medical university to conduct a special examination or assessment to verify her eligibility and clinical readiness if deemed necessary. The court ordered all relevant authorities to complete this evaluation process within three months.
