New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea challenging the Economic Weaker Sections (EWS) eligibility criteria in admissions to private medical colleges, ruling that EWS reservation does not automatically entitle candidates to fee concessions.
A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi refused to accept the argument that the annual income limit of Rs 8 lakh for EWS candidates becomes ineffective when private medical colleges charge tuition fees running into lakhs of rupees.
The court declined to interfere with a Rajasthan High Court judgment that had dismissed a challenge filed by Rajasthan domicile candidate Harshvardhan Singh. The petitioner had argued that the high fee structure in private medical colleges made EWS reservation practically meaningless for economically weaker students.
During the hearing, the Bench observed that self-financing private institutions cannot be directed to charge fees equivalent to government medical colleges merely because seats are reserved for EWS candidates.
The apex court highlighted the difference between government and private educational institutions, noting that government colleges receive financial assistance from the public exchequer, while private colleges function under a self-financing model.
The court also clarified that although capitation fees are prohibited, private medical colleges are permitted to charge regular tuition fees determined under the applicable regulatory framework.
The petitioner had argued that EWS candidates from families earning below Rs 8 lakh annually could not afford tuition fees ranging between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh per year in private medical colleges. In response, the court pointed to the availability of financial assistance mechanisms, including scholarships.
The special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court arose from a Rajasthan High Court order passed in May this year.
Singh, an EWS candidate who appeared for NEET-UG 2025, had claimed that private medical colleges in Rajasthan were charging annual tuition fees between Rs 18.90 lakh and Rs 25 lakh despite the EWS income ceiling being fixed at Rs 8 lakh.
He contended that charging EWS candidates the same fees as general category students defeated the purpose of the 10 per cent reservation introduced through the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019. He sought directions for affordable fee structures for EWS students.
The Rajasthan High Court, while rejecting the plea, had held that EWS reservation applies only at the admission stage and does not create a right to concessional fees in private medical colleges unless provided by law.
The High Court Bench of Justices Arun Monga and Sandeep Shah had observed that the fee structure of private medical colleges in Rajasthan was fixed by the State Fee Regulatory Committee in line with principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the Islamic Academy of Education v. State of Karnataka case.
It noted that the fee fixation order itself had not been challenged by the petitioner.
The High Court further ruled that no statutory provision or binding policy in Rajasthan provided fee relaxation for EWS students. It also held that a National Medical Commission office memorandum cited by the petitioner was only recommendatory and had not been adopted by the state government.
The Rajasthan High Court also found that all available EWS seats in the concerned college had already been filled during earlier counselling rounds, and subsequent admissions were conducted according to the applicable counselling regulations.
With IANS inputs