Summary of Court Judgment - W.P. No. 2848/2025 | KEA Round-3 Counselling | High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru Date: 4th February 2025 Judges: Justice Anu Sivaramana & Justice Vijaykumar A. Patil *Background of Case:* The petitioners, NEET PG aspirants, challenged the allotment of seats in the mop-up (third) round of state counseling conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). They contended that ineligible candidates, who had already secured seats in the third round of the All India Quota (AIQ) counseling, were wrongfully allowed to participate in the state’s mop-up round, violating KEA’s own rules. Key Issues Raised: 1. Eligibility Rules Violation: KEA’s brochure stated that candidates who had secured a seat in the AIQ mop-up round were ineligible for KEA’s mop-up round. However, such candidates were permitted to participate, leading to unfair seat allotments. 2. Data Sharing Delay: Petitioners pointed out discrepancies in the timeline for sharing data between AIQ and KEA, leading to confusion and improper allotments. 3. Procedural Lapse by KEA: KEA allowed candidates from AIQ to enter state counseling, despite no official amendment to the eligibility rules in its brochure. Court's Observations & Ruling: ✅ The court found that KEA’s actions contradicted its own eligibility criteria. ✅ It ruled that allotment of seats to ineligible candidates in KEA’s third round must be cancelled. ✅ Candidates who had already taken AIQ seats were not eligible to participate in KEA’s counseling. ✅ Ineligible candidates who had joined KEA’s allotted colleges should be given time until 9th February 2025 to join their AIQ seats. ✅ KEA was directed to refund fees to affected students who were wrongly allotted seats. ✅ The court instructed KEA to allow eligible petitioners to participate in the stray vacancy round to fill the vacated seats based on merit. Final Directions: 1. Cancellation of wrongly allotted seats to ineligible candidates. 2. Reallocation of seats in the next round of counseling. 3. Extension of AIQ seat joining deadline until 9th February 2025. 4. No penalty for students who participated in KEA’s third round due to KEA’s mistake. 5. Fee refunds for ineligible candidates who had joined KEA seats. 6. Immediate communication to affected students regarding the ruling. Conclusion: The High Court ruled in favor of the petitioners, ensuring that NEET PG seats were allocated fairly, strictly adhering to the eligibility criteria set by KEA. The court also provided relief to affected candidates by allowing them to secure their rightful seats without penalties.