In Brief
Two medical colleges challenged interim court orders that kept MBBS seats vacant during the 2023-24 admission process. When the underlying petitions were dismissed after the admission deadlines passed, the seats remained unfilled and the colleges suffered financial loss. The Supreme Court held that medical seats are year-specific and cannot be carried forward, and that interim relief must meet strict criteria with clear articulation of prima facie case and balance of convenience. Courts should exercise great caution in granting such relief. Rather than creating compensatory seats, the Court permitted the colleges to represent to the Fee Fixation Committee for fee adjustment to offset the lost revenue from the vacant seats, applying principles of restitution.
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