Court Rules Admission to Veterinary Courses Governed by Latest Rules, Not Prior Judgments or Service Conditions
In a significant ruling, the Chhattisgarh High Court, on June 25, 2026, dismissed the petitions filed by Kanchan Rahul @ Kanchan Kaur Rajput and others, challenging the denial of admission to the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) course as departmental candidates. The petitioners, who are Assistant Veterinary Field Officers, contended that the denial adversely affected their promotional prospects, as the course is essential for advancement to Veterinary Assistant Surgeon positions.
The case arose from the petitioners’ challenge to certain state orders preventing them from pursuing the B.V.Sc. & A.H. course at the expense of the state government. The petitioners sought to leverage a previous High Court judgment in Tosh Kumar Sinha v. State of Chhattisgarh, which had permitted similarly situated officers to pursue the course under the then-prevailing admission rules.
Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, presiding over the case, emphasized that the current admission process is governed by the Admission Rules, 2025, which do not provide any reservation or quota for departmental candidates. The court held that the petitioners could not claim a vested right to admission based on superseded admission rules or earlier judgments, especially when the regulatory framework had substantially changed.
The court further clarified that the relief granted in the Tosh Kumar Sinha case was an exceptional measure due to specific circumstances and was not intended to serve as a precedent. The judgment highlighted that changes in admission rules and frameworks render previous rulings inapplicable to the current situation.
Additionally, the court addressed the petitioners’ contention regarding the lack of the Chancellor’s assent to the Admission Rules, 2025, under Section 41(5) of the Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwavidyalaya Act, 2011. The court ruled that this provision applies only to statutes, not administrative notifications like the admission rules.
In dismissing the petitions, the High Court underscored that the petitioners failed to establish any enforceable legal right or corresponding public duty on the part of the respondents. The court stated that rewriting the admission framework to accommodate the petitioners' demands was beyond its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution.
The ruling reaffirms the principle that admission processes are strictly governed by the prevailing rules and that equitable relief cannot be granted when it contradicts the existing statutory framework.
Bottom line:-
Departmental candidates seeking admission to Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Course (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) cannot claim a vested right to admission based on superseded admission rules or earlier judgments given under different factual and regulatory frameworks. Admission is governed by the prevailing Admission Rules.
Statutory provision(s): Article 14 of the Constitution, Article 226 of the Constitution, Chhattisgarh Veterinary (Gazetted) Recruitment Service Rules, 2011, Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Course Admission Rules, 2025, Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwavidyalaya Act, 2011, Section 41(5).
