In Brief
NIMS University challenged the Union Government's decision to maintain the 50th percentile cut-off for admission to Super Specialty medical courses (DM/MCh), resulting in 940 vacant seats in 2021-2022. The petitioner sought directions to lower the percentile, citing precedent years when it had been reduced. The Supreme Court held that setting eligibility standards for Super Specialty courses is a matter of academic policy within the Government's discretion. Since Super Specialty courses represent the apex of medical education requiring high standards, the Court found the Government's reasoned decision to maintain standards was neither arbitrary nor extraneous. The Court did direct a mop-up counselling round to fill vacant seats while maintaining the existing percentile.
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