YFE hails HC stay on 91% MBBS reservation in UP as unconstitutional
The Youth for Equality Foundation (YFE) has welcomed the landmark interim order passed by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, which has stayed the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 counselling for four premier government medical colleges in the State.
The division bench, comprising Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai, intervened after the Uttar Pradesh government introduced a notification mandating an unprecedented 91% reservation for MBBS admissions at the government medical colleges in Kannauj, Saharanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, and Jalaun. This controversial notification directly breached a formal legal undertaking that the UP government had submitted to the High Court last year, wherein the state promised to strictly adhere to the Reservation Act, 2006. The Court came down heavily on the State Government for violating its own commitment.
The 91% reservation structure drastically shrank the available seats, severely compromising the futures of highly meritorious General Category (GC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) medical aspirants. Recognising this severe injustice, Youth for Equality (YFE), alongside the Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA), stepped forward to spearhead the legal battle, providing comprehensive financial, moral, and legal aid to the aggrieved students. During today’s high-stakes hearing, the petitioner-students were robustly represented by Senior Advocate Amrendra Nath Tripathi, ably assisted by Advocate Harsh Vardhan Kediya. Their compelling arguments exposed the unconstitutional nature of the state’s sudden policy shift, successfully securing the stay on counselling for the four affected colleges pending further orders.
"This judicial intervention is a massive victory for meritocracy, constitutional governance, and fairness in higher education," said a representative from the Youth for Equality Foundation. "By halting this arbitrary 91% quota, the Hon’ble High Court has rescued the aspirations of hundreds of hardworking GC and OBC students who otherwise would have been unfairly denied their right to pursue their MBBS dreams."
Youth for Equality extends its deepest gratitude to the Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) for their relentless grassroots and legal support throughout this campaign. YFE also highly commends the outstanding legal acumen demonstrated by Senior Counsel Amrendra Nath Tripathi and Adv. Harsh Vardhan Kediya in protecting student rights. YFE looks forward to a continued, robust collaboration with RHA to champion equal opportunities and challenge unconstitutional policies in the future.