The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Telangana government’s domicile policy for state quota medical seats, calling it “far removed from ground reality” and warning that if the government doesn’t fix the issue, the Court will intervene.
A bench led by the Supreme Court objected to the rule that only students who studied Classes 9 to 12 in Telangana are eligible for state quota medical seats through NEET. The Court said this criterion unfairly excludes many students whose families reside in Telangana but who left the state for better coaching in places like Kota during Classes 11 and 12.
“Students who go outside the state for better educational opportunities should not be penalized. If their parents are residents of Telangana, they should not be denied a shot at state quota seats simply because they studied elsewhere,” the bench observed.
The court was hearing a petition filed on behalf of several students facing disqualification under the current rules. Advocate Raghenth Basant, appearing for the petitioners, called the situation “piquant” and pointed out the inherent unfairness: a student from another state, such as Kerala, who lived in Telangana for only four years and completed Classes 9 to 12 there, would qualify for the state quota, while a child of long-time Telangana residents studying outside the state would not.
He urged the Court to direct the state to modify its domicile criteria and ensure that children of every Telangana resident—regardless of where they completed their schooling—are eligible for state quota medical admissions.
The Court posted the matter for further hearing on July 29 and asked the Telangana government to file its response before then.
