The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment in the Telangana local reservation case related to NEET admissions. The Apex Court heard the matter for nearly two hours on Tuesday after NEET students challenged the existing eligibility rules.
The petitioners questioned the rule that local reservation benefits apply only to those who completed Classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 consecutively in Telangana. The bench, headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai, took note of this key concern and deliberated the issue.
Telangana currently provides 85% reservation for local candidates in MBBS and BDS courses. The remaining 15% seats are allocated to the all-India quota. Within the local quota, further sub-reservations are made for BC, SC, ST, and economically weaker sections.
The state government considers students local if they studied or resided in Telangana for four continuous years. However, the High Court had relaxed this requirement for certain petitioners, allowing them local status even without meeting the four-year criterion.
This High Court ruling was challenged by the Telangana government, prompting the case to be taken up by the Supreme Court. The final verdict from the Apex Court will be crucial in shaping NEET admissions for the upcoming academic year.
At the heart of the issue is whether the four-year continuous study rule is essential for MBBS and BDS admissions under the state’s local quota. The judgment, once delivered, will set a precedent impacting thousands of medical aspirants in Telangana.
