JUDGMENT :

Jyotsna Rewal Dua, J.

Petitioner seeks a direction to the respondents to redraw the merit for admission to the MBBS course in the mop-up round of counselling held on 25.03.2022 against the seats of H.P. State Quota. In essence, the prayer of the petitioner is for upgradation of his MBBS course seat from Management Quota to H.P. State Quota (Scheduled Cast) category in respondent No.5-Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College and Hospital, Kumarhatti, District Solan.

2. Following facts are not in dispute :-

2(i) Petitioner appeared in NEET-undergraduate-2021 examination held for the academic session 2021-2022 and secured 407 marks therein. Respondent No.3 issued common/centralized counselling prospectus in December 2021 inviting applications for undergraduate Medical/Dental Courses for admissions based on merit of NEET-UG-2021. The petitioner participated in the counselling. In the State merit-list issued by respondent No.3, he secured 1568th rank.

2(ii) Petitioner remained unsuccessful in the first round of counselling, result of which was declared on 2.2.2022. Provisional seat allotment during second round of counselling was notified on 4.3.2022. Name of the petitioner with 15