HYDERABAD: The High Court reserved orders on Thursday in a batch of writ petitions filed by MBBS course aspirants challenging the constitutionality of GO 33, dated July 19, 2024, amending the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges (Admission into MBBS and BDS Courses) Rules of 2017.
In the course of the hearings that spanned three days, counsel for the petitioners argued that the recent amendments, particularly the insertion of sub-rule (iii), were a deliberate attempt by the respondents to circumvent a binding judgment issued by the High Court in a previous writ petition in 2023.
The 2023 judgment had declared certain provisions of the 2017 Rules unconstitutional, counsel for the petitioners told a bench of Chief Justice Aloke Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao.
Counsel argued that the court’s earlier ruling had specifically addressed Rule 3(III)(B)(b) of the 2017 Rules, finding it misaligned with its intended objectives. The court had ruled that this provision could not be justified solely on the basis of study or residence in the local area.
As a result, the rule was modified to ensure that candidates possessing a residence certificate issued by the Telangana government would be treated as local candidates, broadening the eligibility criteria for MBBS admissions.
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the bench reserved its orders on the batch of writ petitions. The court’s decision is now eagerly awaited by MBBS aspirants and educational institutions across the state, as it will have significant implications for admissions into medical and dental colleges in Telangana.