No reservation for Jat docs either: SC

R Sedhuraman

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said its earlier order quashing reservation for Jats would also be applicable to all admission processes already underway.

Dismissing Jat doctors’ plea seeking reservation in admission to PG medical and dental courses, the apex court ruled that they would not be entitled to admissions under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota even in the ongoing admission process. The court was hearing a petition filed by doctors of the community whose admission to PG courses under the quota hung in balance in light of the court’s recent order quashing the reservation.

A Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the court had made it clear in its interim order of April 9, 2014, that admission for Jats under the OBC quota would be subject to the outcome of the PIL petition pending against the reservation.

Ruling that there was no vested right in favour of the applicants, the Bench, citing its most recent judgment on the issue, said the court had already ruled that Jats were not a backward community and therefore could not seek reservation under the quota for backward classes.

Senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, appearing for some Jat doctors, contended that Jats were part of the Central OBC quota list and said at the time of all-India counselling for admission to PG courses. Therefore, with the high court ruling, Jat students who did not opt for all-India counselling for better choice of colleges in the subsequent state-level counselling would now fall into the general category, leaving them “neither here nor there", he said.

Days after the apex court quashed reservation for Jats, doctors of the community who were ranked for admission to MD courses under the quota approached the court on Thursday seeking clarification on the impact of the recent verdict on the ongoing admission process.

In their plea, they said they have been ranked under the OBC quota and stood a good chance of getting admission but they may be denied admission under the quota in light of the court’s order.  They had sought an urgent hearing of their plea.

On March 17, the court had set aside the notification issued by the erstwhile UPA government to include Jats in the Central OBC list to extend benefit of reservation to them. (With inputs from PTI)