Ahmedabad: More than 150 students who were admitted to ayurveda colleges in Gujarat during the 2019–20 academic year are facing uncertainty over their degrees after the Supreme Court upheld a Gujarat high court decision cancelling their admissions. The apex court also ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter by forming a joint committee.
The controversy arose after six ayurveda colleges in the state granted admissions to students who did not meet the minimum required NEET percentile. According to norms, admission to ayurveda and homeopathy courses requires candidates to qualify in NEET with a prescribed minimum percentile. In 2019–20, students from the unreserved category were required to secure at least the 50th percentile.
However, due to vacant seats, six colleges allegedly admitted students who failed to meet this eligibility criterion, granting them conditional admissions. College managements reportedly assured students that the Union govt usually reduces the qualifying percentile retrospectively, and their admissions would eventually be regularised. When no such reduction was approved, the matter escalated into a legal dispute.
The case was first heard by a single judge of the high court, who refused to validate the admissions. The decision was later upheld by a division bench, which clearly stated that fulfilling the minimum NEET percentile was mandatory. The matter was challenged in the Supreme Court, but the court declined to interfere with the high court’s ruling.
Importantly, the Supreme Court directed an investigation into how students without eligibility were admitted and why they were not informed about the issue even during their second, third and fourth year of study. All concerned colleges were issued notices to file affidavits.
The court ordered Gujarat Ayurveda University and the Central Council of Indian Medicine to form a joint committee to probe the entire episode.
The colleges involved are Ananya College of Ayurveda, Bhargav Ayurveda College, Indian Institute of Ayurveda, BG Garaiya Ayurveda College, Global Institute of Ayurveda, and Jay Jalaram Ayurveda Medical College.
