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No. 6550/Sec-14/V-111/93 From: Ravindra Kumar Sharma, Sachiv, Uttar Pradesh Shasan To: Director General, Medical Education, Training, U.P.Lucknow Medical Section-14 Lucknow dated 17.12.94 Sub: Reservation in seats of M.B.B.S./B.D.S./B.H.M.S. /B.A.M.S./B.U.M.S. Courses to be filled through C.P.M.T. in State Allopathic Medical Colleges/K.G. Medical College, Lucknow/All State Homeopathic/Ayurvedic/Unani Medical Colleges.

The Lucknow University had issued a notification calling for applications for admissions to medical courses in the State in accordance with the notification of May 17, 1994. After the decision of this Court in Swati Gupta and in the light of the revised notification by the Government, as also the clarification issued on February 14, 1995, the University issued a corrigendum stating that the reservation in favour of five categories, viz., (1) actual dependents of freedom fighters - 5%, (2) sons/daughters of soldiers/deceased/disabled in war - 2%, (3) physically handicapped - 2%, (4) candidates of hill area - 3%, and (5) candidates of Uttarakhand area - 3% (hereinafter referred to as in this judgment as "Special Categories") shall be horizontal reservations and not vertical reservations. The corrigendum stated:

6. Therefore, it is desired from the candidates falling under horizontal reservations that if they belong to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class Category, then they should send Caste Certificate on the following proforma giving his Roll number and examination details to the Registrar, Lucknow University by 28.2.95. If Caste Certificate is not receivedwithin the prescribed period, then it will be deemed that concerned candidates belongs to the General Category. Once a Caste Certificate is furnished same cannot be changed subsequently. The prescribed proforma of Caste Certificate is being sent to the concerned candidates falling under Horizontal reservation through UPC for necessary action as aforesaid. In case proforma of Caste Certificate is not received by post, then same can be obtained by contacting Registrar, Lucknow University."

We may now turn to the contentions raised in the writ petition.

In the initial notification calling for applications, the fifteen percent special reservations were treated as vertical reservations along with reservations in favour of Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Applications were accordingly received. But with the issuance of the revised notification of December 17, 1994, the decision of this Court in Swati Gupta and the clarification contained in the letter dated February 14, 1995, these special reservations became horizontal reservations. Accordingly, a corrigendum was issued by the Lucknow University calling upon the candidates belonging to these special categories to specify to which social reservation category they belong. In other words, the candidates who had applied under any of the said special reservations were asked to specify whether they belong to Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes or to open competition category, as the case may be. It is stated that the candidates did indicate the same. According to the counter-affidavit now filed on behalf of the respondents, it appears that out of 2130 candidates who had applied against the five special reservation categories only nine stated that they belong to Other Backward Classes. None stated that they belong to Scheduled Tribes or Scheduled Castes which meant that but for nine candidates, all the rest applying under the aforesaid special categories were from the general/non-reserved category. As we shall indicate presently, 110 out of 112 special reservation candidates have been accommodated only in O.C. category and none in the O.B.C., S.C. or S.T. category.