The Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld the State government’s decision to exclude certain students from MBBS admissions under the State quota. The ruling applies to candidates who completed their schooling outside Himachal Pradesh because their parents were employed in the private sector outside the State. Despite being domiciled in Himachal Pradesh, such students were found ineligible for seats reserved under the State quota.
The judgment was delivered by the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The petitioners were medical aspirants who had qualified the NEET-UG examination and identified as bona fide residents of Himachal Pradesh. The respondents included the State government and authorities responsible for medical admissions.
The High Court delivered the judgment in December 2025 at Shimla, during hearings related to MBBS admissions under the State quota for government medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh. Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, heading the bench, upheld the exclusion and noted that the classification made by the State was based on reasonable grounds.
With respect to the private employees also, when once parents have moved outside in a private employment and wards obtaining education outside, they are not likely to come back, thus, their exclusion as aforestated footing cannot be said to be irrational or illegal
Justice Ajay Mohan Goel
The petitioners challenged the State’s eligibility criteria, arguing that excluding students educated outside Himachal Pradesh due to their parents’ private employment was unfair. They stated that earlier admission rules had permitted such candidates to apply under the State quota. According to them, domicile status rather than place of schooling should determine eligibility.
In India, MBBS admissions are conducted through NEET-UG, followed by counselling for two major categories: the All India Quota and the State quota. State quota seats are reserved by individual States and typically require candidates to meet domicile and educational conditions. These criteria aim to ensure that students who benefit from State-funded medical education have strong ties to the region.
In Himachal Pradesh, the eligibility rules require candidates to have completed a specified portion of their schooling within the State. Limited exemptions exist for children of government employees who were posted outside the State during service.
The High Court held that the State’s eligibility criteria are legally valid and based on reasonable classification. The court found no violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law. It observed that the State is permitted to frame admission policies that prioritize students educated within its territory, as long as the rules are applied uniformly.
The court relied on established Supreme Court rulings that allow States to define domicile-linked educational requirements for State quota seats. It clarified that granting exemptions to children of government employees does not automatically require similar exemptions for children of parents in private employment.
Following this ruling, students who studied outside Himachal Pradesh due to their parents’ private sector employment will remain ineligible for MBBS State quota seats. However, they can still compete for admission through the All India Quota, which does not impose State-specific schooling conditions.
(Rh/SS)
