Gujarat High Court Directs MCC to Consider NEET PG Aspirant’s Candidature

Background of the Case

In a recent decision, the Gujarat High Court granted relief to a NEET PG aspirant by instructing the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to take her application into account. The applicant had failed to upload her NRI sponsor’s passbook during the NEET PG Round 3 counselling process under the NRI quota.

Judicial Observations

The bench, headed by Justice Nirzar Desai, emphasized that while the petitioner is already a doctor seeking to specialize, she should exercise diligence and accuracy in her application. However, the Court recognized that a minor error, such as the omission of a single document, should not result in lifelong regret for any student. The Court mandated that the MCC must evaluate her case, rather than dismiss her application solely due to the missing document, as reported by the Times of India (TOI).

Details of the Application Omission

The core issue of the case involved the NRI sponsor’s passbook, which the applicant did not upload, resulting in her exclusion from the merit list. The MBBS graduate had previously completed her degree under the NRI quota with sponsorship from her maternal aunt. After taking the NEET-PG 2025 examination, she achieved an All India Rank of 1,80,339, surpassing the required cut-off. However, her failure to upload the mandatory sponsor’s passbook, essential for proving her NRI eligibility, led to her disqualification from the list of eligible candidates. Notably, she did attempt to send the document via email to the authorities on January 30.

Arguments from MCC Counsel

During the proceedings, the MCC’s counsel argued that the requirement to upload the document was non-negotiable and highlighted that the admission process was already in its advanced stages. The counselling window was set to close at noon on the day of the hearing. The counsel contended that the failure to upload the sponsor’s passbook warranted the rejection of her application.

High Court’s Ruling

After reviewing the arguments, the bench noted, “A person who has become a doctor and aims to specialize is expected to be meticulous while completing the application form. Nonetheless, a minor error such as failing to upload a single document should not lead to lifelong regret for a student like the petitioner.” The High Court ordered the MCC to include her in the merit list if she meets the eligibility criteria and instructed that her application should not be rejected based solely on the omission of the sponsor’s passbook.

Petitioner’s Commitment to Contribute

During the hearing, the student expressed her willingness to donate Rs 1 lakh to the High Court Legal Services Committee, regardless of her admission status in postgraduate courses. The Court subsequently directed her to make the donation accordingly.

Related Developments

In another development, the Gujarat High Court has asked the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the MCC to provide justification for not conducting further counselling, as there are currently 57 vacant MBBS seats.