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Judgment
JUDGMENT : (Per : RAJ D.WAKODE)
Heard. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally by consent.
The grievance raised by the petitioner is that, her caste claim was submitted to respondent No.2 – Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Amravati Division, Amravati (the respondent Committee) on 7.5.2026 for verification of “Thakur Scheduled Tribe”. However, till today, the said claim has not been decided by the respondent Committee. In the meantime, she had appeared for NEET-UG-2026 Examination seeking admission to First Year MBBS Course. However, in view of fact that her caste claim is not yet decided, respondent No.3 – State Common Entrance Test Cell, Mumbai is not processing her Application Form for further admission process.
We are aware of fact that respondent No.1 – State of Maharashtra had issued a Government Resolution granting period of six months to candidates belonging to Reserved Categories, viz. SBC and OBC, for submitting Caste Certificates and Caste Validity Certificates within a period of six moths from the date of admission. We do not find any reason as to why such benefit of six months’ period should not be granted to other categories viz. “Scheduled Tribes; Scheduled Castes, Vimukta Jatis, and Nomadic Tribes.
In view of the above, we are of considered opinion that the Application Form of the petitioner for admission to the First year MBBS Course should be processed by respondent No.3 – State Common Entrance Test Cell, Mumbai and provisional admission should be granted to her.
Learned Assistant Government Pleader Shri A.M.Madiwale for respondent Nos.1 and 2, upon instructions, makes a categorical statement that the respondent Committee shall decide the caste claim of the petitioner within two months from today.
In view of the above, we dispose of the present writ petition with directions to respondents, as per order below:
ORDER
Respondent No.2 – Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Amravati Division, Amravati shall decide the caste claim of the petitioner as per Application Form dated 7.5.2026, which is on record at page No.24, Annexure-C, within a period of two months from today.
Respondent No.3 – State Common Entrance Test Cell, Mumbai shall consider the Application Form of the petitioner for admission to First Year MBBS Course as per process and grant her provisional admission, if she otherwise eligible, without insisting for Caste Validity Certificate.
Needless to mention that if the the petitioner succeeds in securing provisional admission, the same shall be subject to decision of the Committee regarding her caste claim and she shall not claim any equity on the basis of such provisional admission.
Rule accordingly.