The Madras High Court on 18 August 2025 directed authorities to permit him to participate in the upcoming NEET PG 2025-26 counselling based on his earlier 2024 rank. Justice C. Kumarappan issued the order while disposing of a writ petition filed by Dr. Tarigonda Surya Maheedhar, who had challenged a disability certificate declaring him unfit for postgraduate medical studies.
Background
Dr. Maheedhar completed his MBBS from Hebei Medical University in China in 2019 and cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in 2020. After securing his medical registration in Andhra Pradesh, his life changed drastically when he lost his left arm in an accident in 2021. Despite the setback, he appeared for NEET PG 2024 and scored a rank of 50,084 with 76.87 percentile, applying under the five percent quota for persons with benchmark disabilities.
However, the Regional Medical Board at Chennai’s Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital issued a disability certificate in September 2024, noting his disability at 90% and declaring him ineligible for postgraduate medical courses. This assessment pushed him to knock on the court’s door, claiming the certificate was based only on “quantification of disability” without evaluating his actual functional capacity.
The court referred to earlier rulings of the Supreme Court, including the Kabir Paharia case, which stressed that persons with disabilities cannot be excluded from medical education merely due to high percentages of disability. Instead, their functional capacity to study and practice specific disciplines must be considered.
Justice Kumarappan remarked, “The constitutional mandate of substantive equality demands that persons with disabilities be afforded reasonable accommodations rather than subjected to exclusionary practices.”
Following an interim order, Dr. Maheedhar was sent to JIPMER, Puducherry, for reassessment. The expert board there concluded in June 2025 that while he might struggle with MD Microbiology, he was fully capable of pursuing Psychiatry, Radiation Oncology, Community Medicine, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Public Health, and related non-surgical fields.
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Taking note of the JIPMER report and Supreme Court precedents, the Madras High Court directed the Union of India, the Medical Counselling Committee, and the National Medical Commission to allow Dr. Maheedhar to participate in the 2025-26 NEET PG counselling. Importantly, the court clarified that he need not reappear for NEET since his 2024 score and rank would remain valid.
Case Title :
Tarigonda Surya Maheedhar vs. Union of India & Others
Case No. :
W.P. No. 5209 of 2025
