ST student allowed to join NEET UG second phase counselling
The Telangana High Court has directed the competent authority to provisionally allow a student, who was excluded from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota in NEET-UG counselling, to participate in the ongoing second-phase counselling as a local candidate. A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin passed the interim order while hearing a writ petition filed by Chawan Aarthi, who challenged her exclusion from the ST quota for MBBS/BDS admissions under the Competent Authority Quota for the 2026-27 academic year.
The petitioner contended that her parents had been issued community certificates by the Vikarabad tahsildar certifying them as belonging to the Lambadis-28 (ST) community, recognised under the Presidential Order applicable to Telangana. She also submitted that she had studied for the preceding four years in educational institutions in Telangana.
The university, however, relied on a communication from the Tribal Welfare director, stating that the petitioner had migrated from another state and, in view of the Supreme Court’s judgment in Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao v. Dean, Seth GS Medical College, was not entitled to the ST reservation benefits of Telangana. The bench, however, noted prima facie that the tahsildar was the competent authority to issue the community certificates.
HC seeks details on BC residential school timings
The Telangana High Court has directed the state government to furnish complete details regarding the timetable followed in Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Residential Educational Institutions (MJPTBCWREIS) schools and the deployment of teachers for non-teaching duties. A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy issued notices to the School Education principal secretary and adjourned the matter by two weeks.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by LB Nagar-based businessman Madiri Sipli, challenging the school timings and the utilisation of teachers of BC residential schools for non-teaching assignments. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the working hours of the BC residential schools had been fixed from 8 am to 4.30 pm, with teachers being assigned “supervisory study” duties between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm.
The petitioner contended that the arrangement was contrary to directions issued by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh High Court. The petitioner sought directions to implement the school timetable from 9 am instead. The Government Pleader sought time to place the complete details before the court. After hearing the submissions, the bench directed the state to furnish the relevant information by the next hearing and issued notices to the respondents. The matter has been posted after two weeks for further consideration.