This article informs about the latest Allahabad High court’s order regarding cancellation of 79% quota in 4 UP government medical colleges, likely actions by DGME, and impact on candidates.
Allahabad High Court's Rejection of Seat Reservation
The Allahabad High Court on 28th August, 2025, rejected the Uttar Pradesh Government’s 79% quota in 4 government medical colleges including Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun, and Saharanpur.
- Reservations Based on the UP Government’s 79% Quota: Of the total 340 medical seats in these 4 government medical colleges, only 28 were reserved for the General Category. The majority of the medical seats i.e., 248 were reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC), 20 for the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and the remaining 44 for the Other Backward Class (OBC) categories.
- Petitioner’s Argument: The petitioner was a NEET aspirant, who had scored 523 marks in the exam. They had secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 29,061 in NEET 2025. The petitioner argued that multiple state government orders issued between 2010 and 2015 had unlawfully increased the reservation limit. As per the submitted petition, all these 4 medical colleges had 85 seats for the government quota, of which only 7 were set aside for the unreserved category. These were clear violations to principles that the reservation limit should not exceed 50%.
- Opposition by UP Government and DGME: The petition was opposed by the UP government and the Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DGME) who highlighted the 1992 Indira Sawhney case, which removed the 50% reservation cap. According to this case, the Supreme Court stated that the reservation limit in educational institutions could be exceeded under extraordinary cases.
- Verdict by the Allahabad High Court: The Allahabad High Court benched by Justice Pankaj Bhatia rejected the claims by the UP government and DGME. The High Court of Allahabad stated that the 50% limit cannot be violated without any legal authority. Following this statement, the Allahabad High Court cancelled six government orders which violated the reservation limit, issued between 2010 and 2015.
The Allahabad High Court further directed the state to fill the seats in the 4 government medical colleges based on the Central and State Government Reservation Act, 2006. All the allotted seats in these 4 medical colleges are to be cancelled, and fresh allotments are to be made based on the Central and State Government Reservation Act, 2006. The court also asked DGME to seek legal advice before taking new initiatives.
Click here to read the notice on the UP NEET counselling authority’s official website regarding the cancellation of 79% quota in 4 government medical colleges.
Also Read Category-wise NEET Cut Off 2025 for MBBS in Government Colleges
Expected Actions by DGME
Here are the expected actions by the Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DGME):
- Cancel the Allotted Medical Seats: The Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DGME) will cancel the allotted medical seats in the 4 government medical colleges of Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun, and Saharanpur. This means that the candidates who were allotted medical seats in these 4 medical colleges will have no claim over them.
- Conduct a Special Round Based on the Updated Seat Matrix: The DGME may conduct a special round or the 2nd round again with the updated seat matrix and reservations. The seats will be filled in accordance to the Central and State Government Reservation Act, 2006.
Candidates are advised to check the official website regularly to stay updated with the notifications about the further proceedings in the UP NEET UG 2025 counselling process.
Also Read DGME UP NEET UG Counselling 2025 Round 1 All India and State Quota Cutoffs
Impact on the NEET Candidates
The changes in the allotment rules will or may have the following impact (positive and negative):
- Loss of Allotted Medical Seats: Candidates who were allotted medical seats will have no claim over them. This could be sad news for candidates who were already allotted medical seats.
- New Opportunities: All the medical seats in these 4 government colleges will be vacant, providing opportunities to candidates across different categories. Those without any allotments earlier may now be allotted medical seats based on the eligibility criteria and in accordance to the rules in Central and State Government Reservation Act, 2006.
The loss of the allotted medical seats may be disheartening for NEET aspirants looking to pursue their dream in medicine. However, the Allahabad High Court’s decision to reject Uttar Pradesh government’s 79% quota in 4 government medical colleges highlights fairness and equality in the highly competitive NEET counselling process.
