New Delhi, September 1, 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Telangana’s four-year residence/study requirement for availing the state “local candidate” (domicile) quota in MBBS and BDS admissions, setting aside Telangana High Court orders that had diluted the rule.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran allowed the State’s and the University’s appeals and dismissed the writ petitions filed by students. The Court held that Telangana’s admission framework—Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admission (Admission into MBBS & BDS Courses) Rules, 2017, as amended in 2024—validly requires four consecutive years of study or residence in Telangana to qualify for the local quota.
What the Supreme Court decided
- 2017 Rules upheld: The requirement of four continuous years of study/residence in Telangana for local-quota eligibility is not exclusionary, arbitrary, or unconstitutional.
- HC view set aside: The High Court’s direction that permanent residents need not meet the four-year criterion was quashed to avoid an “anomalous” and unworkable standard.
- Proviso for transfers preserved: The Rules already protect candidates compelled to move out of Telangana due to parents’ employment—including defence, paramilitary, Government/All-India Services, corporations/PSUs that are instrumentalities of the State—subject to conditions in the Rules.
Why the four-year rule stands
The Bench noted that a clear, rule-based definition of residence/study is necessary for predictable implementation. Without it, issuing residence certificates or assessing “permanent residence” on vague notions would spawn litigation and disrupt the reservation scheme. The State also argued that Article 371D permits special provisions to prefer local candidates in admissions, and that sustained education within the State indicates deeper integration with the local environment.
Arguments the Court considered
- State’s case (argued by Sr. Adv. Abhishek Manu Singhvi): Telangana is competent to prescribe domicile criteria linked to consecutive study/residence; the High Court misread Rule 3(a) and diluted the statutory scheme.
- Students’ stance: A rigid 4-year requirement can unfairly penalize children moved out of the State by parents’ transfers. The Court pointed to the existing proviso that mitigates such hardship.
What this means for aspirants
- Local quota seats: To claim Telangana’s local-candidate benefit in MBBS/BDS, candidates must ordinarily show four consecutive academic years of study/residence in the State as per the 2017 Rules (read with 2024 amendments).
- Transferred parents cases: Candidates moved out due to defence/paramilitary, Government/All-India Services, or PSU/corporation postings tied to Telangana may qualify under the proviso, if they meet the stated conditions.
- Documentation: Applicants should prepare continuous study/residence records and any transfer-related certificates specified in the Rules to avoid rejection.
Background
Telangana’s 2017 admissions code, amended in 2024, ties local-quota eligibility to sustained education/residence within the State, aiming to ensure that those integrated into Telangana’s schooling ecosystem receive preference. The High Court had read down this requirement for permanent residents who lived outside the State temporarily; the Supreme Court has now restored the statutory threshold.
Note: Candidates should consult the latest official prospectus and notification for the current admission cycle to confirm documentary proofs and any timelines referenced in the Rules.
0 Comments