Summary
The Supreme Court invalidated the Karnataka-origin condition in clause 4.1 of PGET-2018 to the extent it excluded the petitioners and similarly situated MBBS/BDS graduates of Karnataka colleges from competing for the specified postgraduate seats. Vishal Goyal had already rejected a substantially identical condition under Article 14; the State could not justify reintroducing it as institutional preference. The authorities were directed to amend the bulletin, republish the calendar and complete admissions within the regulatory timeline.
Issues
- Whether the Karnataka-origin eligibility requirement could exclude graduates of Karnataka medical and dental colleges from the specified postgraduate admissions.
- Whether the substantially identical condition was already governed by Vishal Goyal.
Held
- Vishal Goyal had held that the earlier Karnataka-origin condition did not truly provide institutional preference but made some Karnataka MBBS/BDS graduates ineligible, contrary to Article 14. Clause 4.1 of PGET-2018 was identical in substance, and that decision completely covered the issue. (¶¶ 11, 12, 13, 14)
- The condition was invalid to the extent it disqualified the petitioners and similarly situated candidates who completed their degrees in Karnataka from competing for postgraduate courses in government colleges and government-quota seats in non-governmental institutions. The disposition did not adopt the MCI’s broader submissions on all forms of reservation as separate holdings. (¶¶ 3, 5, 9, 14)
- Karnataka and its authorities were required to modify the information bulletin, republish the calendar of events and complete the process within the timeline fixed by the relevant regulatory authorities. (¶ 15)
Result
Writ petition allowed to the stated extent; authorities directed to amend PGET-2018 and republish the admissions calendar while complying with regulatory timelines.