CHENNAI – The Madras High Court has ordered Madha Medical College to admit a student who initially missed her MBBS seat due to the inability to pay a Rs 15 lakh fee by the designated deadline. The student was allotted the seat during the third round of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) UG counselling 2025.
The petitioner approached the High Court after the college denied her admission under the minority quota. She could not submit the required demand draft by the reporting deadline of November 8 , citing a lack of funds.
Court’s Decision and Rationale
The High Court exercised its “extraordinary jurisdiction,” considering the student’s merit in NEET UG 2025 and her difficult financial situation. The court concluded the student’s failure to join was not intentional. The allotted seat was vacant and earmarked for the stray vacancy round of the NEET UG state counselling 2025.
The court observed that it was more appropriate for the meritorious student to secure the seat rather than it going to a less meritorious candidate. It rejected claims from the respondents that the ruling would set a negative precedent for other aspirants.
The court stated, “This order cannot be applied to all the cases where the candidates do not join the course, within the time stipulated and therefore, the apprehension on the part of the respondents that this order will open flood-gates is too far-fetched.”
Student’s Challenges
The student faced multiple obstacles in paying the required fee. Her mother managed to collect the necessary funds by pledging gold jewels, but the amount became available on November 8 . This date was a second Saturday , a bank holiday, preventing the family from obtaining a demand draft or transferring funds via NEFT or RTGS.
Further complicating the payment, the college’s online portal only supported transactions from approximately eight specific banks. The student’s mother held an account with TMB Bank, which was not among the supported options. Consequently, the earliest possible date for fee payment was November 11 .
The student and her mother attempted to contact the college regarding the payment difficulties but received no response. The Tamil Nadu NEET UG seat allotment for 2025 was declared on November 3 , giving a limited window for payment.
Student’s Background and Merit
The student scored 251 in NEET UG 2025, demonstrating her academic effort. Her background highlights significant financial disadvantage; her mother completed studies only up to Class 10, and her father works as a painter outside India. The Rs 15 lakh fee was the sole barrier preventing her from joining the MBBS course at the allotted college.
College’s Position and Court’s Response
The respondent college maintained it was bound by fixed admission schedules and could not grant exceptions. The college’s special counsel argued that positively considering the student’s case would establish a bad precedent for other candidates who failed to join due to fund shortages.
The college also submitted that an exception would disrupt the stray vacancy round counselling, which concluded on November 14 . Despite these arguments, the High Court prioritized the student’s merit and the specific circumstances of her case, ensuring a deserving candidate secured the available MBBS seat.