The Gauhati High Court has instructed Assam medical education authorities to sympathetically consider an MBBS applicant who missed a critical quota verification deadline after heavy rainfall cut off power and internet connectivity in her home village.
Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair issued an order on August 18 allowing the candidate to physically submit a fresh petition to the Director of Medical Education (DME) in Assam by 11 a.m. on August 19. The court requested that officials examine her documents under the quota for children of serving military personnel and ex-servicemen, provided the review does not displace any candidates already shortlisted or derail the overall admission process.
The applicant, whose father is a serving Army Subedar, completed her exam preparation in Kota, Rajasthan, and successfully passed the NEET-UG 2026 examination, earning a place on Assam’s provisional state merit list. She subsequently sought admission under the reserved defense personnel quota.
State Counsel Cites Admission Timelines
According to court filings, state authorities issued a notification on August 10 mandating in-person document verification for candidates applying under special reservation categories, warning that failure to appear would result in forfeiture of the claim.
The candidate stated that severe weather submerged infrastructure in her rural village in Assam, leaving the area without electricity or cellular connectivity between August 10 and August 13. Consequently, she was unable to access the notice and missed the August 12 deadline for verification.
During the proceedings, senior advocate A R Bhuyan, representing the candidate, argued that a similar relief had previously been granted by the court to another student facing comparable difficulties. He urged the bench to extend the same accommodation to his client.
Standing counsel D P Borah, representing the state, opposed the petition, noting that other quota claimants had complied with the timeline without issue. Borah emphasized that the initial verification involved panel members from the Sainik Board and that a finalized list of suitable candidates had already been published, arguing that reopening the verification process was impractical.
Balanced Decision to Protect Merit List
Acknowledging the rigid structure of medical admissions, the court observed that issuing a direct instruction to accept the quota claim could disrupt the ongoing administrative schedule.
However, to address the student’s hardship without compromising the integrity of the process, Justice Nair permitted her to present her case directly to the DME in person. The court ordered the department to communicate its decision directly to her via her designated telephone number or email address, while explicitly reiterating that no candidate previously selected for the quota should suffer prejudice as a result of the review.
