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Judgment
(per Hon’ble Sri Justice Challa Gunaranjan)
Petitioner assails action of respondents in not permitting him to participate in counselling process for seeking admission into MBBS course scheduled from 29.08.2026 to 01.09.2026 by considering representation, dated 28.08.2026, to be illegal, arbitrary and in violation of principles of natural justice.
Petitioner appeared for NEET-2026 and secured 550 marks with All India Rank of 37,128. He belongs to the Economically Weaker Section category. 3rd respondent issued Notification, dated 05.08.2026, inviting single online application form for admission into under-graduate medical and dental courses for the seats available under competent authority quota in the colleges affiliated to it for the academic year 2026-
As per the schedule mentioned therein, registration has to be done by respective candidates from 05.08.2026 up to 12.08.2026, without late fee, and 13.08.2026 & 14.08.2026, with late fee. Petitioner could not notice aforesaid schedule, only on 24.08.2026, it is stated that he came to know about the timelines, and he was under bona fide impression that there was still time for applying under State quota. Therefore, petitioner made representation, dated 28.08.2026, requesting the 3rd respondent to permit him to register for counselling. As there is no response, petitioner preferred present writ petition.
Heard Mr.O.Uday Kumar, learned counsel for petitioner; learned Government Pleader for Medical and Health for respondents 1 and 2; and Mrs.T.V.Sridevi, learned Standing Counsel for 3rd respondent University.
Learned counsel for petitioner reiterated the averments made in the writ affidavit and prayed to allow the writ petition.
Learned Standing Counsel for 3rd respondent University opposing the writ petition submitted that the last date for registration in terms of the initial notification ended by 1.00 P.M. on 14.08.2026, with late fee, however, as there were some requests for extension of time, the University issued notification, dated 18.08.2026, permitting registration up to 19.08.2026, upon payment of Rs.20,000/-. Thereafter, the University has undertaken the exercise of counselling and the first phase of counselling is underway. She further submitted that the cut-off date mentioned in the notification, as extended once, is sacrosanct, and no exception can be made. It is stated that writ petition with similar prayer for the previous academic year was dismissed by a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in W.P.No.21757 of 2025, thus, urge to dismiss the present writ petition as well.
We have gone through the record.
Petitioner except for stating that he was unaware of the time schedule specified for registration and was under bona fide impression that the candidate would be permitted to apply under State quota even just before commencement of the counselling, has not pleaded substantive justifiable reasons for us to carve out any exception. At any rate, the timelines specified by the University for the purpose of registration cannot be altered by us even if any such exception is still made out, as otherwise, the same amounts to interfering with the process of counselling, jeopardising the interests of the students at large.
A co-ordinate Bench of this Court in W.P.No.21757 of 2025, vide order, dated 14.08.2025, rejected similar prayer by holding that once the process of counselling commenced, any exception allowing candidate to register and participate in the counselling would open floodgates with similar applications, adversely affecting the schedule already fixed by the University, which we are also in agreement with.
We, therefore, find no merit in the present writ petition, and accordingly, the same stands dismissed. No order as to costs.
As a sequel, miscellaneous petitions pending, if any, shall stand closed.