In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has struck down domicile-based reservations in postgraduate (PG) medical courses, calling them a breach of the Constitution’s equality clause under Article 14. The three-judge bench emphasised that “We are all domiciles in the territory of India. We are all residents of India.”
Key Highlights for Doctors:
• Merit Prevails: Admissions for PG medical seats across states must now be based entirely on NEET PG merit.
• No ‘State-Only’ Quotas: Domicile requirements for specialist training have been declared impermissible.
• UG vs PG: A limited domicile preference may remain at the MBBS level, but not for specialisation courses.
• Existing Students Protected: Current PG batches and those who have already completed their courses under previous policies will not be affected.
Legal experts say the verdict cements equal opportunity for medical aspirants across India, ensuring that specialist seats are allocated solely on the basis of academic performance and not restricted by residency.
