Supreme Court Upholds Cancellation of 150+ Ayurveda Admissions in Gujarat
The academic futures of more than 150 students admitted to ayurveda colleges in Gujarat during the 2019–20 academic year now hang in the balance. This follows a decisive ruling by the Supreme Court of India, which has upheld a Gujarat High Court decision that effectively cancels their admissions.
Root of the Controversy: NEET Percentile Violation
The core of this legal and educational dispute lies in the violation of mandatory National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) requirements. According to established norms, admission to ayurveda and homeopathy courses across India requires candidates to qualify in NEET with a prescribed minimum percentile. For the 2019–20 academic year, students from the unreserved category were specifically required to secure at least the 50th percentile.
However, six ayurveda colleges in Gujarat allegedly circumvented this critical eligibility criterion. Faced with vacant seats, these institutions reportedly granted conditional admissions to students who had failed to meet the mandatory 50th percentile mark. College managements are said to have assured these students that the Union government typically reduces the qualifying percentile retrospectively, and that their admissions would eventually be regularised.
Legal Journey: From High Court to Supreme Court
When no such percentile reduction was approved by the authorities, the situation escalated into a full-blown legal dispute. The case was first heard by a single judge of the Gujarat High Court, who firmly refused to validate the irregular admissions. This decision was later upheld by a division bench of the same court, which clearly reiterated that fulfilling the minimum NEET percentile was an absolute and non-negotiable requirement for admission.
The aggrieved parties subsequently challenged the matter in the Supreme Court. However, in a significant verdict, the apex court declined to interfere with the high court's ruling, thereby solidifying the cancellation of the admissions. The Supreme Court's decision underscores the strict adherence to national medical entrance standards.
Supreme Court Orders Detailed Probe into Admissions Scandal
In a crucial development beyond merely upholding the cancellation, the Supreme Court has directed a thorough investigation into the entire episode. The court has raised serious questions about how students who were clearly ineligible were admitted in the first place. Furthermore, it has sought answers as to why these students were not informed about the precarious status of their admissions even during their second, third, and fourth years of study.
To conduct this probe, the Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a joint committee. This committee will be constituted by Gujarat Ayurveda University and the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM). All concerned colleges have been issued notices to file affidavits as part of this investigative process.
List of Colleges Involved in the Admission Irregularity
The six ayurveda colleges implicated in this case, which granted admissions to students without the requisite NEET percentile, are:
- Ananya College of Ayurveda
- Bhargav Ayurveda College
- Indian Institute of Ayurveda
- BG Garaiya Ayurveda College
- Global Institute of Ayurveda
- Jay Jalaram Ayurveda Medical College
This ruling sets a strong precedent for maintaining the integrity of medical entrance examinations and highlights the severe consequences for institutions that bypass mandatory eligibility criteria, leaving hundreds of students in a state of academic and professional uncertainty.
