DIVJOT SEKHON vs STATE OF PUNJAB AND OTHERS

Bench: 2 — Sanjay Kumar, Alok Aradhe

In Brief

The Supreme Court struck down mid-process changes to MBBS/BDS medical college admissions under Punjab's sports quota. The University initially specified that only Class XI and XII sports achievements would count, but days before the deadline, it requested all classes' achievements. This alteration benefited some candidates, disadvantaging others. The Court held that admission criteria cannot be changed after the process begins—"rules of the game cannot be altered once the game has begun." Such changes violate Article 14's requirement of fairness and transparency. The Court found the policy change was influenced by undisclosed personal interest. The affected appellants were directed to receive seats accordingly, with proper seat adjustments.

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Constitutional Law Administrative Law Educational Law Medical Education Right to Equality Fairness in State Action Admission Procedures Conflict of Interest Legitimate Expectations Policy Change

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