Janjgir- Champa, Chhattisgarh v. 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Department Of Medical Education, Mahanadi Bhawan
Case Details
1 WPC No.4636 of 2025 SHOAIB ANWAR Digitally signed by SHOAIB ANWAR Date: 2025.09.02 10:37:33 +0530 2025:CGHC:44188-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 4636 of 2025 1 - Anushka Soni D/o Shri Ajay Kumar Soni Aged About 19 Years R/o L-6, Soni Niwas, Azad Marg, V.I.P. City Naila, District : Janjgir- Champa, Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Department Of Medical Education, Mahanadi Bhawan, Nawa Raipur, Chhattisgarh 2 - Commissioner Of Medical Education North Block, Sector-19, Swasthya Bhawan, 2nd Floor, Nawa Raipur, Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh 3 - Commissioner Medical Education, Swasthya Bhawan, I I Floor, North Block, Sector-19, Nawa Raipur, Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh
Legal Reasoning
4 - National Testing Agency Through The Director (Exams), First Floor, N.S.I.C.-M.D.B.P. Building, Okhla Industrial Estate, New Delhi, 110020 2 WPC No.4636 of 2025 ... Respondent(s) (Cause title taken from CIS)
Legal Reasoning
For Petitioner For Respondents/State :Shri Shashank Thakur, Deputy Advocate :Shri Jitendra Pali, Advocate. For Respondent No. 4 :Shri P.R. Patankar, Advocate. General. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge
Decision
Order on Board Per Ramesh Sinha , Chief Justice 01.09.2025 1. The present petition has been filed with the following prayer:- i. To kindly direct the respondent State to rectify the CG- NEET UG Merit List Round 1 (2025) by excluding the names of candidates whose names were not furnished by the NTA (National Testing Agency) in the "Chhattisgarh State NEET 2025 Eligible Candidate List," as their inclusion is in violation of Rule 6 of the Chhattisgarh Medical, Dental and Physiotherapy Undergraduate Selection Rules, 2025. ii. To kindly direct the respondents to conduct the counseling process strictly in accordance with the list of eligible candidates-cum-merit list as provided by the NTA 3 WPC No.4636 of 2025 for the State of Chhattisgarh, without inclusion of any candidate whose name does not appear therein. iii. To kindly pass such other and further order(s) as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit, just, and proper in the facts and circumstances of the present case. 2. Brief facts of the case are that: (a) The petitioner appeared in the NEET-UG 2025 examination under the OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) category. The examination was conducted on 04.05.2025 by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is responsible for conducting the test, preparing the list of eligible candidates, and assigning All India Ranks as well as State-wise merit lists. The list of successful candidates, along with their state domicile details as filled in the application form, was thereafter forwarded by the NTA to the respective State Directorates for further processing. Based on this list, the State authorities prepared the first round counseling list for allotment of seats. The State of Chhattisgarh has framed the rules namely; “Chhattisgarh Medical, Dental and Physiotherapy Undergraduate Selection Rules, 2025” (hereinafter referred to as the Rules, 2025). As per Rule 6 of the said Rules, only those candidates whose names appear in 4 WPC No.4636 of 2025 the list provided by the NTA are eligible to be included in the allotment of seats through the counseling process. In the present case, the NTA issued the list of eligible candidates along with merit positions for the State of Chhattisgarh on 26.07.2025, in which the petitioner’s merit rank was reflected at Serial No. 900. (b) According to the petitioner, contrary to the mandate of Rule 6 of the Rules, 2025, the respondent State authorities arbitrarily prepared the ‘CG-NEET UG Merit List Round-1 by including several names of new candidates who were not part of the NTA’s list of eligible candidates. The petitioner was shocked to learn that such ineligible names had been added above her in the merit list, thereby disturbing her rightful position. The petitioner’s father sent a representation to the respondents’ ofÏcial email address, but no action was taken. By including more than 170 such ineligible candidates above the petitioner, the respondent authorities have not only violated the binding Rules, 2025, but have also prejudiced the petitioner’s position and merit standing, thereby adversely affecting her chances of securing a seat in a medical college of her preference. The petitioner’s father submitted a 5 WPC No.4636 of 2025 representation dated 23.08.2025 before the competent authority highlighting these irregularities, but till date no action has been taken nor any response provided, reflecting arbitrariness and indifference on the part of the respondents. Thus, this petition. 3. On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondents would oppose the aforesaid submission. They would submit that the Chhattisgarh State NEET 2025 eligible candidate list (As per data received from NTA) has been published on 26/7/2025 by the OfÏce of the Commissioner, Medical Education, Chhattisgarh, Raipur wherein it has been categorically mentioned that on receipt of OnLine applications a provisional list merit list will be published based on eligibility. They would submit that there is no illegality or irregularity at all and the petition deserves to be dismissed. 4. We have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties, perused the pleadings and the documents appended thereto. 5. For the sake of convenience, Rule 6 of the Rules, 2025 are quoted below : 6. Selection Process:- 6 WPC No.4636 of 2025 (a) Application for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for entrance examination conducted by authorized agency (1) Online applications will be invited for the entrance examination as per the dates fixed by the Agency. (2) The entries in the online application which are directly taken from the examination result data provided by the Central Government, along with the entries like mobile number, e- mail address entered by the applicant himself, will remain unchanged. (b) Result of Examination: The Agency will declare the category wise merit list and marks list of all the candidates. Only the list of eligible candidates from the said merit list will be made available to the Directorate by the National Examination Agency. Only eligible candidates will be included in the merit list as per Rule 3 and Rule 4. Eligible candidates will be allotted colleges and courses 7 WPC No.4636 of 2025 through counselling as per Rule 7 according to the order of the merit list on the seats available in the state quota. 6. Bare perusal of the pleadings and the documents appended with the petition and upon perusal of Rule 6 of the Rules, 2025 it is manifest that only the list of eligible candidates from the merit list will be made available by the NTA to the Directorate of Medical Education of the respective States and thereafter, the admitting authorities will a draw a merit list based on All India Rank for the seats of MBBS/BDS falling under their jurisdiction. Thereafter, the State authorities will accordingly make their Merit list and the same is the case with the domicile and in this regard the NTA has no role to play. 7. Pursuant to the above, on completion of the entire process of NEET UG 2025, the NTA issued the list of eligible candidates under the heading of Chhattisgarh State NEET 2025 Eligible candidate List wherein the name of the petitioner is at S.No.900 under the category of OBC-NCL (Central List); All India Rank 110778 and NEET-UG Score 457. 8. It is noteworthy to mention here that after receipt of the list of eligible candidates from the NTA, the State of Chhattisgarh 8 WPC No.4636 of 2025 invited the OnLine applications from the candidates and on receipt and due scrutiny of the same, the list Annexure-P/1 under the heading of ‘CG-NEET UG 2025 Merit List Round-1’ has been published wherein the name of the petitioner is at S.No.1070 i.e. CG State Rank under the category of OBC 432. The State has issued list for Round-1 purely on the basis of merit of candidates on the basis of list of eligible candidates issued by the NTA. The same is just and proper and there is no illegality or irregularity at all. The entire process has been done in accordance with the Rules, 2025. The petitioner has failed to prove her case by producing cogent material. 9. In the result, the writ petition, sans merit, is liable to be and is hereby dismissed at the motion stage itself. Sd/- Sd/- (Bibhu Datta Guru) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Shoaib/gowri