Karnataka High Court Declines NEET PG Candidate's Plea To Change From General To OBC Category After Declaration Of Results

The Karnataka High Court dismissed a medical student's petition seeking a direction on the authorities to permit her to change her category from General category candidate to OBC candidate after the declaration of the results of NEET-PG 2025.

A division bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice Venkatesh Naik T dismissed the plea filed by Dr C Anusha. It said “A candidate has filled up his/her form for NEET-UG/PG belonging to a particular category and if he/she fails to correct the application form during the period provided for correction by the National Testing Agency, a candidate, after declaration of the result would not be entitled to change his/her category.”

The petitioner had applied as a General Merit candidate in the NEET-PG 2025. The result of the examination was declared on 19.08.2025. After the declaration of the result, the petitioner filed this writ petition on 08.09.2025.

Reliance was placed by the counsel for the petitioner on coordinate bench judgments in the case of Dr.Lakshmi P.Gowda vs. National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences in W.P.No.12859/2023 dated 10.08.2023 and 2) Bhanusri.S vs. The State of Karnataka, Department of Education W.P.No.15418/2024 dated 11.07.2024.

The respondents argued that the petitioner had a window to correct her application form if she was of the opinion that she belonged to the OBC category as the bulletin of information itself provided 09.03.2025 to 11.03.2025 as the date during which a candidate would have corrected the application if some mistake was committed in filling the form. The petitioner did not choose to correct her category and participated in the examination as a general merit category candidate. Now, the petitioner wants to change her category after she has not been successful. Such a course is not open otherwise it would upset the entire result of the NEET-PG 2025.

Reliance was placed on a Madras High Court judgment which was confirmed by the Supreme Court in the case of Minor S. Jeyathinathan vs. The National Testing Agency and Others in WP.MD.No.13687/2024.

On perusing the judgments relied on by the petitioner, the court said “Here, the petitioner has come before this Court after the result of NEET-PG 2025 was announced. Therefore, both the cases relied on by the learned counsel for the petitioner are distinguishable on the facts of the present case.”

Accordingly, it dismissed the petition.

Appearance: Advocate Vinay Kuttappa K S for Petitioner.

Deputy Solicitor General Shanthi Bhushan, for respondent Nos.1 and 3.

AGA Sudev Hegde, for respondent No.4.

Advocate N.K.Ramesh, For respondent No.2.

Citation No: 2025 LiveLaw (Kar) 336

Case Title: Dr C Anusha AND National Board of Examinations In Medical Sciences & Others

Case No: WRIT PETITION NO. 27597 OF 2025

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