IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE RENUKA YARA WRIT PETITION NO.5031 of 2026 THE 6^THDAY OF MARCH, 2026 Between:

Gummadidalla Sharanya …Petitioner AND The Union Government of India and 2 others …Respondents

ORDER:

This writ petition is filed seeking the following relief:

“ … to issue a Writ or order or direction particularly one in nature of Writ of Mandamus by declaring the action of the respondents in not permitting the petitioner to submit the online application and appear for NEET (UG)-2026 examination on the ground of age ineligibility as illegal, arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, Consequently to direct the respondents to permit the petitioner to submit the application and appear for NEET (UG)- 2026 Examination and …..”

2. Heard Dr. Challa Srinivas Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioner and Sri N.Bhujanga Rao, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India appearing for the respondents.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner was born on 11.01.2010 and that the petitioner is 12 days short of meeting the eligibility criteria with respect to age of the candidates who are entitled to write NEET (UG)-2026 examination. The petitioner claims that she is having exceptional caliber having passed Intermediate examination with 99% and a deficiency of (12) days being the ground for rejecting her candidature to write NEET (UG)- 2026 examination shocks the judicial conscience apart from making her losing a precious academic year and also causing her mental distress and trauma.

4. The learned Deputy Solicitor General of India for the respondents opposed the petitioner’s claim alleging that no exception can be made with respect to age criteria. In that context, reliance is placed on the order passed by this Court in W.P.No.4008 of 2024, dated 07.03.2024, wherein the said writ petition was dismissed holding that classification to write examination on the basis of age is a reasonable classification.

5. As per the existing precedents, there is no exception made permitting underaged candidates to write NEET (UG)-2026 examination whether it is (12) days or (1) day. No special circumstances are cited as to why an exception should be made to permit an underaged candidate to write NEET (UG)-2026 examination. If merit is to be considered as criteria, then, age criteria has no meaning. The authorities in their wisdom have deemed it necessary to have both age as well as merit as criteria to writing the entrance examination. Said classification is reasonable. Hence, this Court does not see any reason to make an exception to grant permission to the petitioner to appear for the examination.

6. In the result, the writ petition is dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs.

Pending Miscellaneous Petitions, if any, shall stand closed.

_________________ RENUKA YARA, J Date:06.03.2026 GVL THE HON’BLE SMT. JUSTICE RENUKA YARA Date:06.03.2026 gvl