The Supreme Court has granted interim relief to a NEET-PG 2024 candidate, who was denied admission due to a delay in reporting to college despite paying the fees. The Court directed the medical college to allow the petitioner to attend the PG class from tomorrow onwards.
A bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order in the peculiar facts of the case, directing ICARE Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Haldia, to admit the petitioner-candidate."The petitioner being duly counselled and having paid fees on or before 20.03.2025 should be permitted to attend the college in the seat allotted. We direct that respondent No.9-College to which the petitioner has been allotted a seat to permit him to attend the classes from tomorrow onwards", the Court ordered.
Observing that the seat remained vacant and the payment was made before the deadline, the Court held that procedural delay should not override substantive compliance. The college was directed to permit the student to attend classes, marking a crucial stand against arbitrariness in medical admission.
As per claims, the last date for admission to the college was 20.03.2025 but the petitioner reported before it only on 27.03.2025. According to the petitioner, the delay was due to demand of some other fees by the college, although, the college disputed this contention. The college's case was that the admission was denied due to non-production of MCC card by the petitioner.
Be that as it may, the Court prima facie noted that the petitioner was a validly counselled candidate, who was duly allotted a seat to the college and a fee of Rs. 27 lakhs was paid by him online before the last day for admission. Accordingly, it directed the college to allow the petitioner to attend classes.The petitioner participated in the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET-PG), 2024 and based on his rank, the West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee allotted him a seat at ICARE Institute to pursue M.S. (General Surgery) programme during the Special Stray Vacancy Round under Private Management Quota.
When he was not admitted to the college, he approached the Calcutta High Court but the High Court dismissed his writ petition on the basis that the last date of admission was 20.03.2025 and he reported to the college belatedly. Aggrieved, the petitioner approached the Supreme Court.
The college refused to admit him on the ground that he had not reported within the stipulated deadline. When the petitioner approached the Calcutta High Court, his plea was dismissed. The High Court held that the candidates were to report and join the allotted college on 20.03.2025 as that was the last day for admission but the candidates visited the college only on 27.03.2025, therefore could not claim admission. This led the petitioner to approach the Supreme Court of India under Special Leave Petition (C) No. 14738\2025.
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