Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences to pay Rs 7 lakh in compensation to a medical aspirant who was denied an MBBS seat due to improper allotment during NEET (UG) 2022 counselling. The court also imposed a Rs 25,000 cost on the University, to be paid within two weeks.
Case Background: Improper Seat Allotment
The petitioner, Asritha, a 19-year-old student from SPSR Nellore District, appeared for NEET (UG) 2022 and applied for admission under the NCC Female Open Category. The category reserved one seat each at Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Narayana Medical College, and Padmavathi Medical College.
Despite ranking higher in merit within the NCC category, the seat at Narayana Medical College was wrongfully allotted to another candidate, the fourth respondent, who had a lower merit rank. The petitioner alleged that the University overlooked her eligibility, unfairly depriving her of an MBBS seat.
University’s Justification and Court’s Examination
The University defended its decision, claiming that:
- The seat at Narayana Medical College was initially allotted to another candidate under NCC category.
- That candidate later moved to Sri Venkateswara Medical College through category-based sliding.
- The vacated NCC seat was then allotted to the fourth respondent, belonging to the BC-D category, instead of the petitioner.
The University relied on G.O.Rt.No.159 (Higher Education Department), dated 13.11.2020, to justify this reallocation.
Petitioner’s Counterarguments
The petitioner strongly contested the University’s justification, arguing that:
- The other candidate was never allotted a seat at Narayana Medical College in the first place.
- Since she never took admission there, the seat could not have been vacated and later reallocated.
- The University wrongly converted the NCC Female Open Category seat into a BC-D NCC seat, violating admission norms.
- The University’s actions ignored merit-based principles, as she was higher in rank than the fourth respondent.
Court’s Observations and Verdict
Court Demands Proof of Seat Allotment
- On September 20, 2023, the High Court ordered the University to submit proof explaining its seat allotment process.
- The University claimed that Jahnavi, another candidate, was initially allotted Shantaram Medical College, then moved to Narayana Medical College, and later shifted to Sri Venkateswara Medical College.
- The High Court, on April 26, 2024, demanded documentary proof showing that Jahnavi was officially allotted and joined Narayana Medical College before shifting.
University Fails to Provide Evidence
- Despite multiple adjournments, the University failed to submit proof of Jahnavi’s seat allotment at Narayana Medical College.
- On December 5, 2024, the University filed another affidavit repeating its earlier claims but without proof.
- The court ruled that without evidence, the University’s justification for reallocating the seat was invalid.
Court Declares Seat Allotment Illegal
The High Court ruled:
- The University’s failure to provide proof invalidated the seat allotment to the fourth respondent.
- The petitioner was unjustly denied her rightful seat, causing irreversible loss of opportunity to pursue MBBS.
Compensation for Lost MBBS Seat
- Since the petitioner had already enrolled in a BDS (Dental) course, the court acknowledged she permanently lost the chance to pursue MBBS.
- The court ordered Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences to pay Rs 7 lakh in damages within two months.
- Additionally, the court imposed a Rs 25,000 cost, payable within two weeks.
The court concluded:
“The petitioner has lost the chance to pursue a career in Medicine due to the University’s actions. Though she was entitled to a seat in 2022, more than two academic years have passed. It is now appropriate to compensate her loss with Rs 7 lakh in damages, payable by the University.”
This ruling highlights the importance of transparency in the NEET seat allotment process and ensures that meritorious candidates are not deprived of their rightful opportunities.
