Question 1

The Supreme Court has banned all forms of state-level quotas in PG medical courses.

Accepted Answer

State quotas (which comprise 50 percent of total seats) still exist, and states can still exercise 'institutional preference' (reserving seats for graduates of their own state colleges). Only 'domicile-based' (purely residential) quotas were struck down.

Question 2

Domicile-based reservation is now unconstitutional across all levels of education, including undergraduate degrees like MBBS.

Accepted Answer

The Court explicitly clarified that limited domicile reservation is still constitutionally permissible for undergraduate courses like MBBS.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's January 2025 judgment on PG medical admissions:
1. It declared both domicile-based reservation and institutional preference in PG medical courses as unconstitutional.
2. The Court ruled that domicile-based reservation at the postgraduate level violates Article 14 of the Constitution.
3. The judgment completely prohibits states from offering domicile-based reservations even at the undergraduate (MBBS) level.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is incorrect because the Court explicitly upheld institutional preference (reservation for students who graduated from colleges in the state) while striking down pure domicile (residence-based) reservation. Statement 2 is correct as the Court struck down domicile reservation for PG courses under Article 14. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Court clarified that residence-based reservations can be permissible at the MBBS (UG) level to a certain extent. Therefore, only one statement is correct.

Question 4

Match the landmark Supreme Court cases (List I) with their primary subject matter regarding educational reservations (List II):
List I:
A. Pradeep Jain v. Union of India (1984)
B. Saurabh Chaudri v. Union of India (2003)
C. Tanvi Behl v. Shreya Goyal (2025)
D. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992)
List II:
1. Struck down domicile reservation in State Quota for PG Medical Courses
2. Upheld the constitutional validity of institutional preference in PG courses
3. Established the 50 percent ceiling limit on caste-based reservations
4. First major ruling distinguishing between domicile and institutional preference in medical admissions

Accepted Answer

(a) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 — Dr. Pradeep Jain (1984) first established the broad contours distinguishing institutional preference from domicile in medical admissions (A-4). Saurabh Chaudri (2003) by a Constitution Bench specifically upheld the validity of institutional preference in PG courses (B-2). Tanvi Behl v. Shreya Goyal (2025) is the recent case that struck down pure domicile reservation for PG medical courses (C-1). Indra Sawhney (1992) deals with the 50 percent cap on backward class reservations (D-3).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The Supreme Court permits a limited degree of domicile-based reservation in MBBS admissions but prohibits it entirely in postgraduate medical courses.
Reason (R): Article 15(1) of the Indian Constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of 'residence', making all domicile quotas fundamentally unconstitutional unless protected by an amendment.
Select the correct answer:

Accepted Answer

(c) A is true but R is false. — Assertion (A) is true; the 2025 judgment clarified that domicile reservation is permissible to a limited degree in MBBS but violates Article 14 if applied to PG courses where merit is paramount. Reason (R) is false; Article 15(1) prohibits discrimination on grounds of 'religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth'. Crucially, it does NOT include 'residence'. Discrimination on the basis of residence in education is tested under Article 14 (reasonable classification), not Article 15(1). (Note: Article 16(2) mentions residence, but that applies strictly to public employment, not educational institutions).

SC Strikes Down Domicile-Based Reservation in PG Medical Courses

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