Quota misuse for NEET-PG seats? SC seeks report from Haryana on students’ conversion to Buddhism

Two students approached the Supreme Court, seeking admission to a post-graduate medical course at a Uttar Pradesh-based college under the Buddhist minority quota.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 02:39 AM IST

Members of Rastriya Chatra Panchayat hold a protest against New UGC act and demanding to roll back New UGC act, in Lucknow on wednesday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Haryana chief secretary to furnish information regarding the alleged religious conversion of two general category students who approached it seeking admission for a post-graduate medical course under the Buddhist minority quota, claiming that they had converted to Buddhism.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, presiding over a two-judge bench, expressed doubts over the students’ version and wondered if it was not a fraudulent attempt to gain admission.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, presiding over a two-judge bench, expressed doubts over the students’ version and wondered if it was not a fraudulent attempt to gain admission. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

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The bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, was hearing petitions by the two students who sought its intervention for admission under the Buddhist minority quota at the Uttar Pradesh-based Subharti Medical College, a Buddhist minority educational institution.

In support of their claim, the duo produced certificates issued by a sub-divisional officer (SDO) that showed they were members of the Buddhist community.

Noting that they belonged to the Punia caste, the CJI said Punia can be Scheduled Caste or general category Jat. To this, the petitioners’ counsel said they were Jats. “Then, how you become (minority)?” the CJI asked.

The CJI added, “This is another way of fraud…you want to snatch the rights of some genuine bona fide minority…you are one of the richest, best located, upper caste communities…holding agricultural lands and having facilities…you should be proud of your merit…instead of taking the rights of who are actually deprived…”

The court also noted that while applying for NEET-PG, the petitioners had claimed to be general category candidates and not from the Economically Weaker Section and said the matter required a deeper investigation.

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“We have ascertained from the counsel that the candidates are actually born as general category candidates. It appears that the issuance of certificates by SDO requires a deeper probe by the higher authorities, especially in light of the fact that in NEET-PG 2025, candidates appeared as general category candidates, and they further categorically mentioned that they do not belong to the Economically Weaker Section of society. Then how do they become candidates belonging to the minority community?” the bench said in its order.

It asked the chief secretary to furnish details in this regard in two weeks.