Court holds that only caste certificates issued by Andhra Pradesh authorities are valid for ST reservation under state quota, dismissing petition of Telangana resident despite local candidate status.
In a significant judgment delivered on August 25, 2026, the Andhra Pradesh High Court (Division Bench) dismissed a writ petition filed by Vankudoth Greeshma, a permanent resident of Telangana, challenging the denial of Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation benefits in the Andhra Pradesh state quota for MBBS admissions. The petitioner, who belongs to the Lambada community-a Scheduled Tribe recognized in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh-had secured admission under the All India Quota (AIQ) as an ST candidate based on her Telangana-issued ST certificate. However, for the state quota admission, though she qualified as a local candidate by studying continuously for five years in Andhra Pradesh, her ST certificate issued by Telangana authorities was not accepted for reservation benefits. She was considered under the Open Category (OC) instead.
The petitioner contended that this distinction was arbitrary and discriminatory, arguing that since her community is recognized as ST in Andhra Pradesh and she fulfilled the local candidate criteria by study, she should be entitled to ST reservation in the state quota. She also highlighted the difficulty in obtaining an Andhra Pradesh ST certificate due to her permanent residence in Telangana.
The respondents, including the State of Andhra Pradesh and Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences, defended the action stating that admissions under the Competent Authority Quota must strictly adhere to the Andhra Pradesh Admission Rules and the prospectus for the academic year 2026-27. These rules mandate that only caste/community certificates issued by competent authorities of the Government of Andhra Pradesh are valid for reservation benefits under the state quota. The petitioner was rightly considered as a local candidate but could not claim ST reservation without a valid Andhra Pradesh certificate. The state further pointed out that the petitioner was receiving the benefit of ST reservation under the AIQ.
The Court, led by Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan, upheld the state's position, relying on settled constitutional principles and Supreme Court judgments, notably the landmark decisions in Marri Chandra Shekhar Rao v. Dean (1990), Bir Singh v. Delhi Jal Board (2018), and Ranjana Kumari v. State of Uttarakhand (2019). These precedents clarify that Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe status is state-specific, and benefits of reservation are confined to the geographical territory of the state issuing the certificate. The Court rejected the petitioner's reliance on a contrary Supreme Court ruling pertaining to Puducherry, distinguishing the facts and reaffirming the binding nature of the larger benches' decisions.
The Court emphasized that "local candidate" status based on study or residence and "social reservation" based on valid community certificates are separate concepts under the Andhra Pradesh admission framework. The petitioner's Telangana-issued ST certificate, though valid for AIQ and Telangana state admissions, does not entitle her to ST reservation benefits in Andhra Pradesh state quota admissions. Therefore, the action of the respondents to treat her as a local candidate in the OC category was held valid and lawful.
The writ petition was accordingly dismissed with no costs. This ruling clarifies the strict territorial application of reservation benefits in medical admissions and reinforces the requirement of state-issued community certificates for claiming caste-based reservations under state quota seats.
Bottom Line:
Admission to MBBS under State quota - Candidate who is a permanent resident of Telangana and holds ST certificate issued by Telangana authority, though eligible to be treated as a local candidate in Andhra Pradesh on account of study for requisite years, is not entitled to claim ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh State quota - Only caste/community certificates issued by competent authority of Government of Andhra Pradesh are valid for such reservation.
Statutory provision(s):
Articles 14, 15(4), 21, 226, 341, 342 of the Constitution of India; Andhra Pradesh Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions) Order, 1974; Andhra Pradesh Unaided Non-Minority Professional Institutions (Regulation of Admissions into Undergraduate Medical and Dental Professional Courses) Rules, 2007; Government Orders G.O.Ms.Nos.80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86 of Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department, Andhra Pradesh.
Vankudoth Greeshma v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (AP)(DB) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2982899
