Panaji: The Bombay High Court at Goa has set aside the state government’s decision to introduce a sports quota in MBBS and BDS admissions midway through the 2025–26 admission cycle, holding it to be contrary to the binding prospectus.
A Division Bench of Justices Bharati H. Dangre and Nivedita P. Mehta delivered the judgment on Monday in a petition filed by NEET candidate Akshay Srivastava, who had challenged a notice issued on August 1 by the Directorate of Technical Education inviting applications from sportspersons to fill seats under the Children of Freedom Fighters (CFF) category.
The court ruled that the common admission prospectus “has the force of law and is binding on both the authorities and candidates,” and that it cannot be altered once the admission process has commenced.
It relied on a 2008 Full Bench ruling in Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute v. State of Maharashtra.
Srivastava argued that under Clause 3.31 of the prospectus, unfilled CFF seats must be transferred to the general category, and that introducing a new quota after the first round of counselling violated this rule and his legitimate expectation of securing a seat on merit.
The state, represented by Advocate General Devidas Pangam, defended the move citing executive power under Article 162 of the Constitution and the Goa Sports Policy, 2009.
Intervenors, including sports associations, supported the quota, pointing to similar national practices.
Rejecting these submissions, the bench observed that “inviting applications under a new category after commencement of counselling amounts to changing the rules of the game after it has begun.” It held that Clauses 3.54–3.56 of the prospectus, which allow modifications for smooth conduct of admissions, could not be invoked to justify a new reservation midway.
While noting that the state is free to frame policies to encourage sports, the court stressed such provisions must be incorporated before the admission process begins. It directed that the unfilled CFF seats be reverted to the general category as mandated by the prospectus.
