Bombay High Court

ANUSHKA D/O KRUSHNA REDDY (MINOR) THR HER FATHER KRUSHNA C REDDYversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR SEC. GEN. ADMINISTRATION DEPT. AND ANR

Decided: 10 September 2026
Disposal: Disposed Off

Holding

The Court ordered that the petitioner be allowed to participate in CAP Round 2 of NEET‑UG 2026 as an ST candidate without the Tribe Validity Certificate, subject to a favorable decision by the Scheduled Tribe Certificate Verification Committee.

Summary

The petitioner, a minor represented by her father, filed a writ petition seeking admission to the CAP Round 2 of NEET‑UG 2026 as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidate without producing a Tribe Validity Certificate, which was pending before the Scheduled Tribe Certificate Verification Committee. The petitioner argued that an earlier order of the Aurangabad Bench directed the Scrutiny Committee to decide her tribe validity claim promptly, and a subsequent Government Resolution had relaxed the requirement of a caste validity certificate for other categories. The High Court examined whether it could direct the State CET Cell to admit the petitioner despite the pending certificate. Relying on the earlier order and the Government Resolution dated 4 September 2026, the Court held that the petitioner could be allowed to participate as an ST candidate, subject to a favorable decision by the verification committee. The order was made without costs and the petition was disposed.

Issues considered

Whether the petitioner can be admitted to CAP Round 2 of NEET‑UG 2026 as an ST candidate without a Tribe Validity Certificate pending verification.
Whether the Court can direct the State CET Cell to relax the certificate requirement based on the Government Resolution.

Subjects

NEET‑UG
Scheduled Tribe
Tribe Validity Certificate
Admission
CAP Round
Government Resolution
Writ Petition

Judgment

                                                                               912-wp-12111-2026.doc
                      jsn

                                     IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                             CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

                                             WRIT PETITION NO.12111 OF 2026
JITENDRA
SHANKAR
NIJASURE                    Anushka D/o. Krushna Reddy (Minor Thru. ...Petitioner
Digitally signed by
JITENDRA SHANKAR
NIJASURE
Date: 2026.09.11
                            Her Father Krushna Chandrakant Reddy)
18:11:03 +0530



                                  Versus

                            The State of Maharashtra & Ors.                    ...Respondents

                                                            ----------
                            Mr. Ghanshyam K. Chinchole with Mr. Ratan Adhe and Mr. Shubham
                            Nikam for the Petitioner.
                            Mr. Nikhil Chavan, for Respondent No.2 – CET Cell.
                            Mr. O.A. Chandurkar, Addl. G.P. with Mr. V.M. Mali, AGP for State.
                                                            ----------

                                                      CORAM : R.I. CHAGLA AND
                                                              FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, JJ.
                                                      DATE  : 10TH SEPTEMBER, 2026.

                            O R D E R:

                            1.            Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard by consent

                            of parties.



                            2.            The Petitioner has moved the Aurangabad Bench of this

                            Court vide Writ Petition No.9042 of 2026 and wherein Order dated

                            31st July 2026 came to be passed directing the Scrutiny Committee

                            to decide the Tribe Validity Claim of the Petitioner as early as possible


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                                                  912-wp-12111-2026.doc

and in any case, within a period of three months from the date of the

said Order.



3.            In the present case, the Petitioner having filed his claim

way back on 19th May 2025 for the validity of her Tribe Validity

Certificate, and the same not having been considered by the

Scheduled Tribe Certificate Verification Committee, Kinwat – 2,

Headquarter     at   Chhatrapati   Shambhajinagar,    we   consider   it

appropriate to direct the Respondent No. 2 - State CET Cell to allow

the Petitioner to participate in CAP Round 2 of NEET-UG 2026 and

onwards by treating the Petitioner’s application from Scheduled Tribe

Category without insisting upon the submission of the Tribe Validity

Certificate, as the tribe validity claim of the Petitioner is pending

before Scheduled Tribe Certificate Verification Committee. This is

upon considering that, by a subsequent Government Resolution dated

4th September 2026, the Respondent State has extended the benefit

of Government Resolution dated 2nd July 2026 by revising the

period from six months to three months to other categories, by

leaving out Scheduled Tribes for the submission of their Caste

Validity Certificate for the purposes of admission to the Educational

Institute.

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4.             We further make it clear that this Order is made

subject to the Petitioner’s Tribe Validity Claim being decided in

favour of the Petitioner by the Scheduled Tribe Certificate

Verification Committee.


5.             The Writ Petition is disposed of in these terms. No order

as to costs.



     [ FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, J. ]                  [ R.I. CHAGLA J. ]




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