CHANDIGARH, June 10: The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has confirmed its decision to fill half of the state quota seats for postgraduate medical courses (MD/MS) for the 2024–25 session based on NEET-PG 2024 all-India merit, sparking opposition from local parents who claim this exceeds the permissible 50% all-India quota.
As per official procedure, PG medical seats are divided between all-India and state quotas. In the past, the Chandigarh state quota was further split between institutional preference and domicile-based allocation. However, a January 29 Supreme Court ruling invalidated the domicile quota for PG admissions at GMCH-32, prompting the UT administration to restructure the admission criteria.
Based on this SC ruling, the administration issued a notice on April 9 to convert all UT pool seats within the state quota to institutional preference. The move faced legal challenge but was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in an order on May 27. Acting on the court’s directive, the administration issued a fresh notice on June 3, stating that the remaining state quota seats would be filled on an all-India merit basis in the third round of counselling.
This latest decision has triggered sharp criticism from some parents, who argue that allocating half of the state quota on an all-India basis effectively raises the all-India intake to 75%, in violation of the 50% cap. A petition challenging the June 3 notice is scheduled to be heard in the High Court on Tuesday.
Health secretary Ajay Chagti defended the administration’s move. “We are proceeding with counselling as per the June 3 notice, which aligns with the HC judgement of May 27 and the SC’s direction in January,” he said. “The SC, in March, had clarified that the HC’s ruling should guide us on state quota seat distribution.”
The issue has split opinion among parents. Those whose wards study outside Chandigarh back the shift toward all-India merit, while parents of GMCH students favour institutional preference. The ongoing legal tussle has left the admission process fraught with confusion and contestation over fairness and access.
