Consider Central Govt. Employees' Children As Local Candidates For MBBS, BDS Admissions: HC
The court directed that, pending a formal amendment, the rule be read as including the children of Central employees on the terms applicable to children of state government employees
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the state government and the health university to treat children of Central government employees, corporations and public sector undertakings, who were compelled to pursue their education outside Telangana due to their parents’ postings, on par with children of state government employees for the purpose of local candidature in MBBS and BDS admissions.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin directed the government to expeditiously finalise and issue the necessary clarification or formal amendment to GO Ms. No. 150 to incorporate this category within the ambit of the exception under the proviso to Rule 3(a).
The court directed that, pending a formal amendment, the rule be read as including the children of Central employees on the terms applicable to children of state government employees.
The bench issued the direction while disposing of a writ petition filed by Kodimela Samhitha, who challenged her exclusion from the benefit of the local candidate exception under the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Rules, 2017, as amended by GO Ms. No.150 dated September 8, 2025.
The petitioner, a Hyderabad native, had qualified NEET-UG 2026 and sought admission in the MBBS/BDS course. Her father, an Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) employee under the Union ministry of labour, was transferred from Hyderabad to Tirupati in December 2016 and returned to Hyderabad in May 2024. Consequently, she completed Classes V to X and her Intermediate education in Tirupati.
During the admissions process for MBBS/ BDS, the petitioner was not treated as a ‘local candidate’ as she did not fall within any of the four categories specified in the proviso to Rule 3(a)(iii), as her father was an employee of a Central government corporation.
The state government, following Supreme Court directions till September 2025 regarding local candidature, framed the proviso to Rule 3(a)(iii), which had confined the exception to categories of employees having a direct nexus with the state government and excluded the Central employees.
The petitioner contended that the rule was discriminatory as it recognised children of certain state government employees, Telangana-cadre All India Service officers, defence personnel and employees of Telangana government corporations, but excluded similarly placed children of Central government employees.
Advocate-General A. Sudershan Reddy representing the state, informed the court that the issue was under consideration and assured the court that an appropriate clarification or amendment would be issued to extend the benefit to children of Central employees.
Taking note of the assurance, the court said there was no justifiable reason to exclude Central employees and their children from the exception. The court directed the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences to treat Samhitha as a local candidate and permit her to participate in the ongoing MBBS/BDS counselling for 2026-27.
