Top Court Rejects Tamil Nadu's Plea On 50% OBC Quota In Medical Colleges

The Supreme Court today dismissed a batch of petitions - including by the Tamil Nadu government - seeking 50 per cent OBC reservation in Tamil Nadu for All India Quota seats in state-run medical colleges this academic year. The petitions were heard by a bench led by Justice L Nageswara Rao.

Tamil Nadu government, ruling AIADMK and the DMK had moved the top court after the centre had said that it was not possible to extend 50% OBC reservation this year.

The High Court, on July 27, had directed the Central government to constitute a committee comprising representatives from the centre, state and Medical Council of India to decide on the issue of providing OBC reservation in all-India seats (AIQ) surrendered by Tamil Nadu for medical admission. The court, however, had also said that any decision of the committee would be applicable only for future academic years and not the current one.

The parties throughout the hearing had contended that the Central government is only an agent and a counseling authority to fill the seats according to the reservation.

Earlier this month, the centre informed the top court that it is not possible to extend reservation benefits to OBCs in medical seats as the students had filled their application forms for NEET in January-February itself. 

Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh, who appeared for the centre, also informed the bench that the reservation roster had already been fixed by the Directorate General of Health Services.