The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on two petitioners from Haryana who sought admission to a medical college under the minority quota after converting to Buddhism. Terming the move a “new type of fraud,” the Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant dismissed their plea and raised serious questions about the issuance of minority certificates to upper-caste candidates for the sole purpose of securing reservation benefits.
The Case: Conversion for Admission
The petitioners, identified as Nikhil Kumar Punia and another resident of Hisar, had approached the apex court seeking admission to a postgraduate medical course at Subharti Medical College, Meerut (a Buddhist minority institution) under the minority quota.
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Background: The court noted that the petitioners belonged to the Jat Punia community, a socially dominant upper-caste group in Haryana.
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The Tactic: They had appeared for the NEET-PG 2025 exam as ‘General’ category candidates and had explicitly stated they did not belong to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). However, they later produced minority certificates issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Hisar, claiming they had converted to Buddhism.
Court’s Observation: “Snatching Rights”
The Bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, expressed shock at the modus operandi.
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Sharp Rebuke: When the counsel argued that conversion was a personal right, CJI Surya Kant remarked, “Wow! This is a new type of fraud. You want to snatch the rights of some genuine bona fide minority… You are one of the richest, best-located, upper-caste communities holding agricultural lands… You should be proud of your merit instead of taking the rights of who are actually deprived.”
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Judicial Questioning: The CJI, who hails from Hisar, bluntly asked, “You are a Punia? What minority are you? Let me ask this bluntly now. Which Punia are you?”
Directives to Haryana Government
While dismissing the petition for admission, the Supreme Court kept the matter regarding the issuance of certificates open for further scrutiny.
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Notice Issued: The court has directed the Chief Secretary of Haryana to submit a report within two weeks.
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Key Questions: The state must explain the guidelines for issuing minority certificates and clarify whether it is permissible for an upper-caste General category candidate (non-EWS) to subsequently declare themselves as a Buddhist minority to claim state benefits. The court questioned the basis on which the Hisar SDO issued such certificates.
