In a rather tense morning hearing at the Gujarat High Court, Justice Nirzar S. Desai intervened to protect an 18-year-old medical aspirant whose MBBS admission was on the brink of cancellation due to what the court repeatedly called a “small but costly mistake.” The courtroom atmosphere felt charged, especially as the fourth round of MBBS counselling was happening simultaneously.
Background
The petitioner, Stuti Patel, had already been studying for a few days at Narendra Modi Medical College after upgrading her choice from N.D. Desai Medical College, Nadiad. She had paid the fee differences, joined the college’s WhatsApp group, and even signed attendance sheets.
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But one procedural step-submitting the previous round provisional admission order at the helpdesk-was missed. Because of this, her seat was marked “not reported,” and risked being allotted to someone else in the ongoing stray round.
Her counsel argued that the lapse happened due to wrong advice given by some college staff, while the Admission Committee insisted it was entirely her negligence and that rules cannot be bent for anyone.
Court’s Observations
Justice Desai took a practical, almost empathetic view, remarking that the issue should not “ruin the career of a meritorious student for one overlooked procedural form.”
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The bench noted that:
- The student had no misconduct or malpractice against her.
- She had already paid a substantial sum, including ₹1.63 lakh after upgrading.
- The only lapse was non-submission of a document that would have taken “just minutes” at the helpdesk.
At one point, the judge verbally reflected, “Sometimes a brilliant student may not be attentive to administrative steps. Should that destroy her future?”
The Additional Advocate General insisted rules must apply uniformly, but the judge maintained that rigid application of rules should not unfairly deprive a more meritorious student while allowing a lesser-ranked candidate to claim the seat.
In an interesting twist, the court even asked whether the young student would be willing to serve an extra six months in rural postings after completing MBBS, as a gesture of responsibility. Her counsel immediately agreed, and the student-present in court-confirmed she would file the undertaking the same day.
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Decision
The High Court ultimately regularised her MBBS admission, directing that the very seat she had been studying on must be allotted to her in the ongoing fourth round.
Justice Desai also imposed a token cost of ₹5,000, to be deposited with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, and instructed her to complete all pending admission formalities “forthwith, during the course of the day.”
With that, the judge concluded the matter, allowing the petition fully and ensuring the young student’s medical career stayed on track.
Case Title: Patel Stuti Vaishalkumar vs. Union of India & Others (Gujarat High Court, 17 Nov 2025)
Case Type: Special Civil Application No. 15274/2025
Court: Gujarat High Court, Ahmedabad
Judge: Justice Nirzar S. Desai
Petitioner: Stuti Patel, 18-year-old NEET-qualified MBBS aspirant
Respondents: Union of India, ACPUGMEC, concerned medical colleges
