The Madhya Pradesh High Court (Indore Bench) has dismissed three writ petitions challenging the constitutional validity of provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Admission Rules, 2018, which restrict previously registered candidates from editing their profiles or changing their category during the Mop-Up round of medical admissions.
A Division Bench of Justice Subodh Abhyankar and Justice Jai Kumar Pillai held that candidates who registered during the initial counselling rounds and those entering afresh during the Mop-Up round belonged to two distinct classes. It observed that restricting profile edits for previously registered candidates was a policy choice intended to prevent repeated verification cycles and ensure the smooth conduct of counselling.
The petitioners, who had qualified NEET-UG 2026, contended that they were prevented from changing their category to the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota, even as fresh candidates were permitted to register and select their categories. They sought an online edit window on the MPOnline portal to update their category and undergo verification of their NRI eligibility and sponsorship documents.
Rejecting their plea, the Court noted that the Mop-Up registration had closed on October 2, 2026, the merit list was published on October 3, and choice filling had commenced on October 4. Allowing category changes at that stage would require resetting the portal, re-verifying documents and republishing merit lists, thereby disrupting the prescribed admission schedule.
The Bench further noted that 268 eligible NRI candidates were competing for 175 MBBS NRI vacancies, and held that there was a sufficient pool of verified candidates to fill the available seats. It also observed that vacant NRI seats could be transferred to the general category under the prescribed rules, ensuring that the seats did not go unfilled.
The Court held that the petitioners had failed to establish any violation of Articles 14, 19(1)(g) or 21 of the Constitution. Hence, upheld the validity of the challenged rules and dismissed the petitions.
