NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has made key observations on local reservation in Telangana, putting an end to the uncertainty that had surrounded the issue for some time. The apex court made clear that the four-year rule is mandatory for Telangana’s local reservation to apply, and held that local reservation norms must be implemented strictly in accordance with the Presidential Order.
Reiterating a verdict previously delivered by a bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai, the court dismissed a petition challenging the four-year study requirement. The petition was filed by a young woman named Ankita, who challenged the state government’s decision that four years of study in Telangana is mandatory for local reservation to apply.
The plea, which argued that the rule was arbitrary, was dismissed by a bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha. The court held that, to qualify for local reservation, a student must have studied in Telangana for four consecutive years immediately before the MBBS qualifying examination. The bench once again upheld the Telangana government order issued earlier on the matter.
With the ruling, the Supreme Court has made clear that local reservation will apply only to students who have studied in Telangana for four consecutive years before the MBBS qualifying examination.