1. Petitioner Miss Manveen Dhillon secured 70 per cent marks in the Indian Schools Certificate Examination, which she passed in the year 1976 from the Sacred Heart Girls High School, Bangalore. She obtained 72 per cent marks in the Pre-Medical Examination, which she passed in the year 1979 from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. On the recommendation of the Medical Council of India, the State of Punjab decided to hold on behalf of the Medical Colleges in the State a common competitive entrance examination for admission to the Government Medical/Dental Colleges in the State of Punjab. The said examination was held on June 20, 1979. The petitioner secured 11th position in the competitive examination on the basis of merit. The relevant part of the decision of the State Government, as contained in the prospectus issued for and on behalf of the Government of Punjab (Department of Health and Family Welfare and Government Medical Dental Colleges in the Punjab State is reproduced as under :-

"1.3 : Admission to the Medical/Dental colleges shall be based on the relative merit of candidates determined on the result of the entrance examination subject to reservation of seats for the