Karnataka HC Directs State To Pay ₹10L Compensation To Chess Player Who Was Denied MBBS Seat Under Sports Quota Despite Eligibility
The Karnataka High Court ordered the State government to pay ₹10 lakh in compensation to an international chess player, after she was unjustly denied an MBBS seat in a government medical college under the sports quota, despite meeting the eligibility criteria.
Sanjana Raghunath, who has excelled in various competitions—including the Asian Youth Championship and the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2018—challenged a circular issued by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) in June 2023. This circular stipulated that to qualify for admission under the sports quota, applicants must have participated and won in specific sporting events between June 1, 2018, and May 31, 2023. Consequently, any achievements outside this timeframe, including Raghunath's performance in the Asian Youth Championship held in April 2018, were deemed irrelevant for the 2024 academic year admissions.
Although Sanjana had performed well in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and obtained a good rank, her application for admission to government medical colleges under the sports quota was rejected by the KEA. This forced her to secure a seat in a private institution, incurring fees exceeding ₹11 lakh.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind stated that the State's actions in denying her a seat under the sports quota and compelling her to enroll in a private medical college constituted an arbitrary decision.
The Court noted that the State had inflicted significant distress on Sanjana, thereby making it liable for compensation. It added, “Due to the reasons recorded by the Court as above, the categorization of the petitioner as P-V is on the face of it illegal. The respondent authorities have committed serious errors either due to non-application of mind or the arbitrary exercise of the power. This action of the respondent authorities has deprived the petitioner's aspiration to pursue MBBS Course under Government seat reserved as sports quota. 41. The Court has noted that the petitioner is pursuing MBBS Course in a private seat. Due to the arbitrary action of the respondent-authorities, the ambition of the parents and the student in pursuing sport activity to claim incentive of preference for admission is totally scattered.”
Advocate Srikanth MP represented appeared for the petitioner, while Advocates NK Ramesh appeared for the Respondents.
The High Court deemed the circular and the decision to classify Sanjana under the private seat category as “on the face of it illegal.” The Court remarked, “the participation of the petitioner in Asian Youth Chess Championship 2018 is while representing India. Further, the winning in Asian Youth Chess Championship 2018 is in a Super-A games under Schedule–II to Rule 2006. The petitioner is therefore declared to be eligible to be categorized as P-I, and the categorization of the petitioner as P-V was wrong in view of the Rules and the same is unsustainable.”
However, the Court recognized that the sports quota seats for the current academic year had already been filled and concluded that disrupting these finalized admissions would not be prudent.
The Court elaborated, “Once the Court holds that the action of the respondent-State has resulted in suffering to the petitioner, applying the test of time constraints, the petitioner cannot be denied of redressal of sufferings. Once the remedy of admission under the sports quota is not viable, the other method to remedy the grievance is with adequate compensation.”
Therefore, it instructed the State to provide monetary compensation of ₹10 lakh to Sanjana.
Cause Title: Sanjana Raghunath v. The Karnataka Examination Authority & Ors.
Appearance:
Respondents: Advocates NK Ramesh, N Khetty, and MN Sudev Hegde