Gujarat High Court Intervenes in NEET-PG NRI Quota Case, Orders Authorities to Consider MBBS Student's Application
In a significant development, the Gujarat High Court has stepped in to address a procedural oversight that threatened to derail the medical career aspirations of an MBBS graduate. The court has directed the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of the Directorate General of Health Services to consider the candidature of Swara Kiran Bhatt for inclusion in the merit list of eligible candidates for NEET-PG Round 3 under the NRI quota.
Case Background: A Minor Omission with Major Consequences
According to case details presented before the court, Swara Kiran Bhatt completed her MBBS degree on an NRI seat sponsored by her maternal aunt. She appeared for the NEET-PG 2025 examination and secured an All India Rank of 1,80,339, with her score significantly exceeding the required cut-off marks. However, when applying for postgraduate courses through the centralized counseling process, Bhatt failed to upload one mandatory document – the NRI sponsor's passbook – during the application submission.
This omission resulted in the rejection of her candidature, prompting her to approach the Gujarat High Court seeking judicial intervention. Bhatt's legal representatives argued that while she couldn't upload the sponsor's passbook through the official portal, she had sent the document via email to the concerned authorities on January 30. They maintained that this was a minor procedural lacuna that should not cost the student her entire medical career.
Court Proceedings and Judicial Observations
During the hearing before Justice Nirzar Desai, MCC counsel Ankit Shah opposed the petition, stating that the admission process had substantially progressed and the counseling window was scheduled to close on Monday noon when arguments were being heard. The counsel maintained that non-uploading of the sponsor's passbook justified non-consideration of her candidature as per established procedures.
However, the High Court took a more compassionate view of the situation. While acknowledging that "a person who already became a doctor and aspires to become a specialist would adhere to and maintain the requisite precision, and be absolutely meticulous while uploading the application form," the court observed that such a minor mistake of failing to upload a single document ought not to result in a lifetime regret for a student like the petitioner.
Court's Directive and Conditions
The Gujarat High Court issued specific directions in this matter:
- The Medical Counselling Committee must consider Bhatt's case in the merit list if she is otherwise found eligible for NEET-PG Round 3 under the NRI quota.
- The authorities were ordered not to reject her claim for a PG NEET seat solely on account of the failure to upload the sponsor's passbook during the application process.
- Justice Nirzar Desai directed Bhatt to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the High Court Legal Services Committee, noting that the student herself had expressed a desire to donate this amount irrespective of whether she ultimately secures admission to postgraduate courses or not.
The court's intervention comes at a critical juncture in the medical admissions calendar, highlighting the balance between procedural compliance and substantive justice in educational admissions. This case underscores the judiciary's role in ensuring that technical oversights do not permanently derail the career aspirations of qualified medical professionals, while still maintaining the importance of following established procedures in competitive examinations and admissions processes.
