Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji

Panaji, Aug 15: In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court at Goa on Thursday struck down the 3% reservation granted to children of central and state government employees for admission to medicine courses in state-run institutes through NEET.

With this order, the quota in MBBS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, AHS, and BSc (Nursing) courses for wards of those residing in Goa without meeting the mandatory residential requirement stands cancelled.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Nivedita Mehta delivered the verdict while hearing a petition challenging the clause in the Directorate of Technical Education’s prospectus that extended the reservation.

The bench observed that the provision failed the test of Article 14 of the Constitution and stressed that merit must prevail, with reservations permissible only through laws enacted by the state legislature.

Senior advocate Subodh Kantak, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the special category diluted merit and was beyond the state’s powers. Advocate General Devidas Pangam contended that the policy aimed to aid wards of employees whose service conditions prevented long-term residence in Goa.

However, the court ruled that Clause 5.7, reserving five seats in Goa Medical College, Bambolim, lacked legal backing and diluted merit, thereby upholding the petitioner’s challenge.