HC Rules NMC Boards Cannot Alter Disability Percentage
The Allahabad High Court delivered a landmark judgment regarding undergraduate medical admissions. Specifically, the court affirmed that authorities must honour a valid NEET disability certificate during counselling. A division bench heard petitions from three candidates disqualified by designated medical boards. These boards had drastically reduced the candidates' certified disability percentages. Consequently, the bench quashed those arbitrary assessment reports and ordered their immediate inclusion in counselling.
High Court Ruling on NEET Disability Certificate Validity
The court examined sections 56 and 57 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act. Notably, certificates issued by competent medical authorities remain legally binding on all administrative bodies. Therefore, an assessment board cannot override certificates issued by Chief Medical Officers.
In this case, petitioner Shubham Mishra held a valid certificate showing 45 percent permanent disability. However, the Medical Assessment Board lowered his disability to 20 percent. Subsequently, the Appellate Medical Board confirmed this disqualification. The High Court firmly declared that both boards exceeded their statutory jurisdiction. Thus, judicial or statutory appellate forums alone hold the power to modify such legal certifications.
Functional Assessment Versus Disability Reassessment
The bench highlighted guidelines notified by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on July 27, 2026. Furthermore, these updated guidelines mandate functional competency evaluations rather than numerical reassessments. The sole mandate of the board is checking if a candidate can complete MBBS training. In addition, boards must identify necessary assistive technologies and reasonable accommodations.
Crucially, all three petitioners possessed the physical capacity to complete their medical education. The medical boards had already acknowledged their functional ability. Nevertheless, the boards denied them admission solely by altering their numerical scores. Hence, the High Court condemned this practice as legally unsustainable and unfair.
Impact on Medical Admissions and Candidate Rights
This judgment provides critical clarity for disability rights advocates and NEET aspirants across India. First, it prevents designated assessment centres from acting as parallel authorities to civil medical officers. Second, it reaffirms that candidates with 40 percent disability or higher retain their reservation rights.
Moreover, medical institutions must now focus on providing reasonable accommodations rather than finding grounds for exclusion. The court directed authorities to consider the petitioners in remaining counselling rounds immediately. Accordingly, state counselling committees must strictly adhere to statutory UDID documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can an NMC medical board alter a candidate's disability percentage?
No, the board cannot alter the percentage. The High Court affirmed that boards only assess functional suitability for medical education.
Q2: Who has the statutory authority to issue a NEET disability certificate?
Competent district medical authorities, such as Chief Medical Officers, issue binding certificates under the RPwD Act, 2016.
Q3: What role does reasonable accommodation play in MBBS admissions?
NMC guidelines require institutions to provide reasonable accommodations and assistive devices, ensuring eligible candidates can complete training.
References
- NEET counselling: HC say NMC constituted medical board cannot redeterminepercentage of disability - ETHealthworld
- Guidelines on assessment of PwBD for admission to the MBBS course 2026. - National Medical Commission (NMC)
- Allahabad HC Orders PwBD Inclusion Of 3 NEET Candidates - Times Now
