Chhattisgarh HC Quashes 2025 PG-Medical Admission Rules, Terms Them Arbitrary

The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down Rule 11(a) and 11(b) of the 2025 PG Medical Admission Rules, declaring them unconstitutional and arbitrary. This landmark ruling mandates that NEET-PG 2025 State Quota seats must be filled primarily based on All-India Merit Rank, eliminating a two-tiered preference system that favored candidates who completed their MBBS within Chhattisgarh. The decision ensures a level playing field for all Chhattisgarh-domiciled aspirants, regardless of their undergraduate institution, upholding the supremacy of merit in specialized medical education.

In a significant victory for meritocracy and equal opportunity in specialized medical education, https://highcourt.cg.gov.in/the Chhattisgarh High Court has delivered a definitive ruling on the state's PG Medical Admission Rules, 2025. The High Court, citing the binding precedent of the Supreme Court in the Dr. Tanvi Behl case, quashed Rule 11(a) and Rule 11(b) of the rules, labeling them arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India—the right to equality. These now-invalidated rules had created a preferential two-tiered system for State Quota seats, giving a near-absolute first right of access to candidates who completed their MBBS degree from within the state, effectively creating a massive institutional preference that unfairly disadvantaged other Chhattisgarh-domiciled aspirants who studied elsewhere. This verdict is a critical development for all NEET-PG 2025 candidates vying for an MD/MS/PG Diploma seat in Chhattisgarh.

I. The Discriminatory Rules Quashed: Rule 11(a) and 11(b)

The core of the legal challenge centered on specific provisions that the court deemed created an unjustifiable classification among candidates who were otherwise all permanent residents of the state.

• Rule 11(a): This rule effectively provided the first priority for state quota seats to candidates who had obtained their MBBS degree from medical colleges affiliated with the Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Smriti Swasthya Vigyan Evam Ayush University in Chhattisgarh, or were in-service candidates.
• Rule 11(b): This rule stipulated that seats would only be offered to candidates who were natives/domicile residents of Chhattisgarh but obtained their MBBS degrees from outside the state if seats remained vacant after exhausting the Rule 11(a) category.
• Constitutional Violation: The High Court found that this system was discriminatory. It classified candidates based purely on the location of their MBBS institution, creating an unequal playing field among equally qualified, domicile-holding candidates, thereby violating the constitutional guarantee of Article 14.
• The Supreme Court Precedent: The ruling heavily relied on the Supreme Court’s binding principle, established in Dr. Tanvi Behl v. Shrey Goel & Others (2025), which mandates that merit must prevail over undue domicile or blanket institutional preference in specialized PG medical admissions.

II. The Impact: Merit and Equal Opportunity for Aspirants

The quashing of the discriminatory rules immediately and significantly changes the counselling strategy and chances of NEET-PG 2025 aspirants for the State Quota seats.

1. Unified Merit List: The most direct consequence is the creation of a single, unified merit list for all permanent residents of Chhattisgarh who have qualified for NEET-PG, regardless of where they obtained their MBBS degree (be it in Chhattisgarh, another state, or even abroad, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria).
2. Supremacy of NEET-PG Rank: Admission to the State Quota seats (barring a reasonable quantum of institutional preference, which must be clearly justified) must now be filled strictly based on the candidate's NEET-PG All-India Merit Rank. This prioritizes academic excellence over geographical location for advanced, specialized medical training.
3. Relief for Outsider-MBBS Candidates: This verdict is a major relief for Chhattisgarh-domiciled candidates who pursued their undergraduate degrees outside the state, as they can now compete directly with their in-state counterparts on a level playing field without being relegated to a residual 'if vacant' category.
4. Counselling Revision Mandatory: The state authorities, including the CGDME (Chhattisgarh Directorate of Medical Education), are now legally required to revise the NEET-PG 2025 counselling guidelines and the seat allotment process to remove these quashed discriminatory clauses.

III. Merit Over Location: The National Policy Affirmed

This judgment is not an isolated incident but a powerful affirmation of the national legal stand on PG Medical Admissions.

• UG vs. PG Distinction: The ruling re-emphasizes the clear distinction made by the Supreme Court: while some domicile-based reservation is permissible for MBBS (UG) courses to address local needs, the imperative for Postgraduate Medical Courses (MD/MS) shifts decisively to merit and professional excellence.
• Institutional Preference Limits: While institutional preference is allowed, it must be reasonable and cannot be used to virtually convert the entire state quota into an exclusive preserve for specific institutions, as this compromises the standard of specialized healthcare.
• Transparency and Fairness: By ensuring all eligible candidates compete based on their NEET-PG merit, the court has boosted the transparency and fairness of the counselling process, preventing restrictive policies that limit opportunities for deserving students nationwide.

The Chhattisgarh High Court's decision to quash the arbitrary PG Medical Admission Rules, 2025, is a clear mandate for meritocracy in the state's medical admissions. This ruling clears the air and re-establishes the NEET-PG merit rank as the single most critical factor for State Quota seats. All Chhattisgarh NEET-PG aspirants must now focus on monitoring the official CGDME portal for the revised merit list and the updated counselling schedule, ensuring their choice filling strategy is strictly guided by their NEET-PG rank and the new, unified rules.

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