Madras High Court to student: Can’t order quota for Type-I diabetes

Chennai: Madras High Court has declined to direct Tamil Nadu government to provide special reservation in admission to medical courses for students suffering with Type-I diabetes.

Justice M Dhandapani, holding that no such direction can be issued by the court, said, “it is left open to the government to take a call on the issue.”

The petition, filed by an MBBS-aspirant, wanted the court to direct the state government to provide special reservation in admission to medical courses for students suffering with Type-I diabetes. The National Testing Agency (NTA) requires the NEET applicants to mention whether they were suffering from diabetes while submitting online applications, but no reservation is provided for such students under a special category of disability, she said.

Responding to the plea, the Selection Committee of the Directorate of Medical Education submitted that the decision to provide reservation for children suffering from Type-I diabetes under a special category of disability is a policy decision that has to be taken by the state government and that the committee had no role in it.

The petitioner said she was dependent on insulin twice a day and yet she had appeared in the NEET and scored good marks that were sufficient to be considered for medical admissions under a special category.