Kohima, February 24, 2026: In a landmark judgment delivered on February 10, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Nagaland State Government in a case concerning a claim over one MBBS seat from the central pool allocated to the state.
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| Supreme Court. (File Photo) |
The case was filed by Vatsala Panghal, who had scored 455 marks in NEET-UG 2025 and secured an All India Rank of 1,13,803, while claiming to be Rank No. 2 in Nagaland. The petitioner sought entitlement to one of the MBBS seats allotted to Nagaland under the central pool.
The legal battle began in July 2025 and progressed through the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, and later the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court. The State Government’s petition was argued by Additional Advocate General Vihelieu Suokhrie.
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In its final order, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the judgments and orders passed by the Gauhati High Court and dismissed the Special Leave Petition along with any accompanying interlocutory applications.
The ruling effectively brings closure to the prolonged legal dispute and establishes a significant precedent that non-indigenous candidates cannot claim MBBS seats allocated to the State of Nagaland under the central pool.
The outcome followed months of legal preparation and advocacy led by Advocate General of Nagaland K.N. Balgopal and the state’s legal team.
