Bhubaneswar : The Orissa High Court has rejected the plea of a NEET aspirant seeking admission to an MBBS seat under Odisha’s State Government School (SGS) quota, ruling that a candidate cannot simultaneously claim benefits from two different educational systems.

The case involved a student who had completed schooling under the Odisha Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) but later improved his marks through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to meet the eligibility criteria for medical admissions.

A division bench of the High Court observed that while the revised marks obtained through NIOS could make the candidate eligible for NEET counselling, they could not be used alongside the reservation benefits exclusively meant for students educated entirely within Odisha’s government school framework.

The court stated that the petitioner was attempting to enjoy “dual privileges” by relying on NIOS marks for eligibility while also seeking admission through the SGS quota reserved for state government school students.

According to court records, the candidate had scored below the required 50 percent aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in his Class 12 examination conducted by CHSE in 2014. To improve eligibility for medical admission, he later appeared for Chemistry through NIOS in 2022 and secured higher marks.

Using the revised score, the candidate qualified in NEET-UG 2025 and applied for admission under the Unreserved-State Government School category during Odisha counselling. However, authorities denied him admission under the SGS quota, leading him to approach the High Court.

The bench upheld the decision of the counselling authorities, emphasizing that the SGS reservation policy was created specifically for students who pursued their education entirely in Odisha government schools. The judges held that once the petitioner relied on marks from another educational board to meet NEET eligibility, he could not continue to claim the exclusive reservation benefit attached to the original state-board system.

Legal observers say the judgment may have wider implications for professional course admissions, especially in cases where candidates use open schooling or improvement examinations to qualify for national entrance tests while also seeking state-specific reservation benefits.

The ruling is expected to serve as an important precedent in interpreting eligibility rules related to quota admissions and educational qualifications in Odisha.

Timeline of Events

- 2014: Candidate appeared for CHSE Class 12 examination and scored below 50% aggregate in PCB subjects.

- 2022: Candidate improved Chemistry marks through NIOS examination.

- 2025: Qualified NEET-UG using revised marks and applied under Odisha’s SGS quota.

- Counselling Stage: Admission under SGS quota was denied by authorities.

- 2026: Orissa High Court dismissed the plea and upheld the counselling authority’s decision.

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