NCSC sends notices to MNLU Nagpur over non-implementation of reservation in PhD course

The University’s admission notification for the 2025 PhD programme prescribed an intake of 35 candidates across reserved and unreserved categories.

7 seats were reserved for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) of Maharashtra, 5 for Scheduled Castes (SC), 4 for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC), 2 for Scheduled Tribes (ST),and 1 seat each for De-notified Tribes (A), Nomadic Tribes (B), Nomadic Tribes (C), Nomadic Tribes (D), and Special Backward Classes. 12 seats were designated unreserved.

However, the provisional selection list issued on February 3, 2026 listed 26 candidates as eligible for admission. The breakdown revealed that 20 candidates were listed under unreserved/general despite only 12 unreserved seats. 3 were listed under OBC and 1 was listed under Nomadic Tribes (B). Not a single candidate was admitted under SC, ST, SEBC, De-notified Tribes (A), Nomadic Tribes (C), Nomadic Tribes (D) or Special Backward Classes categories.

Among those left out was Dipak Namdev Kharat, an NT-C category candidate who had applied for the one seat reserved for Nomadic Tribes (C). He had qualified the entrance examination on October 3, 2025 and appeared for his interview on January 5 this year.

He raised a grievance with the University, following which the Doctoral Council constituted a sub-committee to examine it. On February 14, the Convenor of the Council informed Kharat via email that the sub-committee would submit its recommendations at the earliest. No further communication came and the course commenced without any resolution.

This prompted Kharat to move the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, alleging that MNLU Nagpur had filled unreserved category seats while denying seats to reserved category candidates.

A Division Bench of Justices Anil L Pansare and Nivedita P Mehta issued notice to the University on March 10.