New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday faulted the Telangana govt’s domicile policy, which mandates a student to have pursued Classes 9 to 12 in the state to be eligible for admissions to state quota medical seats through NEET and said it was far removed from the ground reality, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.
“These days, many students, to avail of better coaching facilities for competing in medical and engineering entrance examinations, pursue their Class 11 and 12 at places like Kota. Should they be barred from getting admitted on the ground that they are not domiciles of Telangana?” a bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi asked. “You must have a humane approach.”
We do not want such students to be harassed. All students whose parents are domiciled in Telangana would be eligible for state quota seats irrespective of the place from where they passed Class 11 and 12,” the CJI said, with a warning, “Either you (the govt) resolve the issue, or we will set it right.”
Appearing for students facing the domicile bar despite their parents being born in Telangana and continuously residing in the state, advocate Raghenth Basant told the bench that it has created a piquant situation.
“Children of a person from Kerala, who is posted in Telangana for the last four years, on completing Class 9-12 in Telangana would be eligible for admissions to medical seats under state quota. But students who study outside, despite their parents being natural residents of Telangana, would not be eligible to avail these state quota medical seats,” he said.
He urged the court to modify the domicile criteria by allowing children of every resident of Telangana, irrespective of where they completed their schooling, to get admitted to medical colleges under state quota seats. The SC posted the matter for further hearing on July 29, by when the Telangana govt will have to come with an answer to the court’s query.
