Second merit list delayed as HC upholds state’s domicile norms

CANDIDATES HAVE A STATE DOMICILE, AND MUST HAVE CLEARED BOTH CLASS 10 AND CLASS 12 FROM STATE

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday upheld the state government’s rule outlining criteria for admission to undergraduate health science courses under the domicile quota, leaving students and parents in anticipation of the revised merit for MBBS and BDS courses.

An official from the state Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell said they have begun the process of eliminating 201 candidates who don't fulfil the domicile norms from the list of applicants. A second merit list will then be published for the seats left vacant. "We are yet to receive a copy of the judgement. We will need at least a day or two to put together the second list," he said.

On Thursday, the division bench of Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharati Dangre rejected the plea of 17 students to be permitted to participate in the admission process. The 17 applicants were all domiciled in Maharashtra. However, some of them had cleared Class 10 from the State but not Class 12, while the rest had cleared Class 12 from the state but not Class 10.

The court ruled that the candidates seeking admission to health science courses under the 85% state quota will have to continue to meet all three conditions of eligibility laid down by the government: a state domicile and clearing of both Class 10 and Class 12 from the state.

Earlier, the Nagpur bench of HC had passed an interim order allowing students who fulfilled two of three conditions to seek admission under the domicile quota after a petition filed by a student. Following this, 201 students registered and 31 were alloted seats in the first merit list.

"The 31 students who were allotted seats after the first list have lost an opportunity to study in the state's medical and dental colleges, as they can't even apply for all India quota seats. What state do these students belong to, if not Maharashtra?" said a parent.