24-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana HC allows students to apply for MBBS, BDS under Competent Quota despite 4-year rule
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court, headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice P Sam Koshy, has passed interim orders in a batch of 34 writ petitions, directing the state government and Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences to permit petitioners to apply for MBBS/BDS courses under the Competent Quota for the academic year 2025-26.
The petitions challenged the validity of Rule 3(a) of the Telangana Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Rules, 2017, as amended by GO Ms. No 33, dated July 19, 2024. This rule requires candidates to have studied or resided in the state for at least four consecutive academic years prior to admission to be considered local candidates.
Petitioners have contended that the rule is arbitrary and violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India. They also pointed out division bench rulings, dated August 29, 2023, and September 5, 2024, which held that the four-year study/residency requirement lacked a rational nexus with the objective of the 2017 Rules.
In Kalluri Naga Narasimha Abhiram & others vs state of Telangana, the high court had already interpreted Rule 3(a) to include students domiciled or permanently residing in Telangana, even if they have not studied in the state for four years. The court also noted that the government had failed to frame rules or guidelines to determine domicile or permanent residence status, despite being granted liberty to do so.
