MP HC Rejects MBBS Candidates’ Plea To Change Category After Merit List In Mop-Up Counselling

The petitioners challenged the order dated 21 September 2026 passed by respondent No. 2

Their counsel acknowledged that the same controversy had been decided against petitioners in W.P. No. 41836 of 2026 and connected cases by order dated 7 October 2026

In that decision, the Court considered challenges relating to counselling rules, including restrictions on changing a candidate’s category during the Mop-Up round

The Court applied its earlier ruling concerning Rules 6(ख), 6(ग), 13 and 14 of the Admission Rules, 2018.

That ruling held that restricting existing candidates from changing their category while permitting fresh registration in the Mop-Up round was a permissible policy distinction, and that transferring unfilled seats under Rule 13 to the general pool did not render the rules arbitrary

It also relied on Regulations 4.3 and 4.5 of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which require common merit-based counselling in accordance with the prescribed guidelines and schedule and prohibit admissions outside that process.

The earlier ruling further considered Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution, and the Supreme Court’s directions on adherence to medical-admission schedules and interim orders in Ashish Ranjan and National Medical Commission v. Vedantaa Institute of Medical Science

The Court did not undertake a separate examination of the merits of the petitioners’ challenge.

It recorded counsel’s submission that the same issue had already been decided and concluded that the controversy was “squarely covered” by the earlier decision

It therefore applied that ruling to the present case, including its conclusions on the validity of the counselling rules and the need to preserve the prescribed admission schedule

and directed that the order dated 7 October 2026 in W.P. No. 41836 of 2026 and connected cases apply mutatis mutandis to this case.