Allahabad HC quashes 79% reservation in UP govt medical colleges, directs fresh admissions

The Allahabad High Court has struck down Uttar Pradesh government orders that had resulted in over 79% of seats being reserved in government medical colleges in Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun, and Saharanpur districts.

The court directed the state to refill the seats strictly in line with the Reservation Act of 2006, ensuring the reservation quota does not exceed the 50% cap.

The verdict, delivered on Aug 28 by Justice Pankaj Bhatia, came on a petition filed by NEET candidate Sabra Ahmed. The petitioner, who scored 523 marks with an all-India rank of 29,061 in NEET-2025, argued that a series of government orders issued between 2010 and 2015 had unlawfully raised the reservation limit.

She pointed out that in these colleges, which have 85 state-quota seats each, only seven were being allotted to the unreserved category, in violation of the principle that reservation should not exceed 50%.

The state government and the Director General of Medical Education and Training opposed the plea, contending that the 50% ceiling was not absolute and could be breached, citing the Indira Sawhney case.

The court, however, rejected the argument and held that any enhancement in reservation must be done strictly in accordance with law and established procedure.