JUDGMENT

BHAGWATI, J. :— This group of Writ Petitions raises a question of great national importance affecting admissions to medical colleges, both at the under-graduate and at the post-graduate levels. The question is, whether, consistently with the constitutional values admissions to a medical college or any other institution of higher learning situate in a State can be confined to those who have their domicile within the State or who are resident within the State for a specified number of years or can any reservation in admissions be made for them so as to give them precedence over those who do not possess domicile or residential qualification within the State, irrespective of merit. This question has assumed considerable significance in the present day context, because we find that today the integrity of the nation is threatened by the divisive forces of regionalism, linguism and communalism and regional linguistic- and communal loyalties are gaining ascendancy in national life and seeking to tear apart and destroy national integrity. We tend to forget that India is one nation and we are all Indians first and Indians last. It is time we remind ourselves what the great visionary