Manipur High Court
G. Poufullung Kabui & 3 Ors vs State Of Manipur & 4 Ors on 23 February, 2026
Author: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Bench: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Item Nos. 138-140
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR
AT IMPHAL
MC(WP(C)) No. 133 of 2026
G. Poufullung Kabui & 3 Ors.
...Applicants
- Versus -
State of Manipur & 4 Ors.
...Respondents
With
MC(WP(C)) No. 872 of 2025
WP(C) No. 942 of 2025
B EF O R E
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A. GUNESHWAR SHARMA
ORDER
23-02-2026
[1] Present Mr. N. Ibotombi, learned senior counsel assisted by Ms.
Y. Jinita, learned counsel for the petitioners and Mr. Th. Sukumar, learned
Government Advocate for the State respondents.
[2] The petitioner Nos. 1, 2 & 4 are Senior Residents and petitioner
No. 3 is the Tutor/Demonstrator in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical
Sciences (JNIMS). By the Time Scale Promotion (Regularly appointed
Senior Residents/Tutor/Demonstrator/Lady Medical Officer possessing
Post-Graduate Degree) (1st Amendment) Rules, 2022, four seats in PG have
been reserved for the non-post graduate officers mentioned above and the
scheme is valid for the years 2021-2025 and the present year is the last year
of the scheme. However, the State Government notified “The Manipur
Medical Postgraduate Seat Allotment Schemes, 2025” for admission of PG
seats in the medical college/institute in the State of Manipur and out of this,
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50% seats is reserved for All India Quota (AIQ) and the remaining 50% for
the State Quota (SQ). In the State quota, the four seats reserved under the
JNIMS scheme of 2022 has been deleted and by the present petition, the
petitioners mainly challenged that the four seats for the year, 2025 be
earmarked and to implement the JNIMS sponsored scheme for the post
graduate course of 2025. It may be noted that the JNIMS Scheme of 2022
was relied by this Court in the case of Dr. Ibetombi Kshetrimayum Vs.
State of Manipur & 3 Ors reported as 2025 Volume 2 Manipur Law
Journal 289 and held that the decision of Dr. Tanvi Behl Vs. Shrey Goel,
reported as 2025 INSC 125 has not superseded the JNIMS Scheme of 2022.
The matter attained finality as the Division Bench of this Court upheld the
decision and SLP was dismissed. In the circumstances, vide order dated 28-
11-2025, this Court passed an interim order directing the respondents to
reserve four seats for the year, 2025 for PG in JNIMS for consideration under
JNIMS Scheme of 2022. In compliance of the interim order dated 28-11-
2025, the Director of Medical Education, Government of Manipur issued a
letter dated 01-12-2025 to reserve four seats for the petitioners herein. Copy
of the letter is reproduced below:–
“DIRECTORATE OF MEDICAL EDUCATION
Government of Manipur
——–
No. DME/5/1/2025 Imphal, the 1st December, 2025
To
1. Director, JNIMS.
2. Dean (Academics), JNIMS.
(Convenor PG NEET Counselling Committee)
Subject: Permission to comply with Hon’ble High Court Court’s order
dated 28/11/2025 passed in WP(C) No. 942 of 2025.
Madam,
With reference to your letter No. JNIMS/Acaddemics-Page 2 of 6
3(68)PG/Counselling/2025 (Pt.I) dated 29/11/2025, I am to convey that
Government of Manipur, Health Department has conveyed the approval to
reserve 4 (four) seats for the petitioners, namely
i) Dr. G. Poufullung Kabui – Department of medicine
ii) Dr. Kh. Tonny Singh – Department of Pathology`
iii) Dr. Khollung Longmei – Department of Paediatrics
iv) Dr. Md. Firoz Khan – Department of Respiratory medicine.
The reservation of the seats is in compliance of the Hon’ble High
Court’s order. The allotment of the seats will be subject to the outcome of the
WP(C) No. 942 of 2025 and also it will be subject to the qualification of the
petitioner in PG NEET.
This is issued with the approval of the competent authority.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(Somorjit Salam)
Director of Medical Educaiton,
Government of Manipur”
[3] After this, the four petitioners filed the present MC(WP(C)) No. 133
of 2026 for allowing them to participate in the counselling for admission to
the PG course 2025-2026 in the four reserved seats against their names in
terms of the letter dated 01-12-2025 issued by the Director of Medical
Education, Government of Manipur.
[4] After perusing the materials on record and submissions of the
parties, this Court is of the view that in the interim order dated 28-11-2025,
the direction was to reserve four PG seats under the JNIMS Scheme of 2025
for the subjects, i.e. General Medicine, Pathology, Paediatrics and
Respiratory Medicine. However, in the letter dated 01-12-2025 issued by the
Director of Medical Education, Government of Manipur, four seats were
reserved against the names of the four petitioners. In order to avoid the
situation where eligible persons other than the petitioners are not left out, on
18-02-2026 this Court directed the learned Government Advocate to verify
as to whether availability of any other eligible candidates apart from the four
petitioners before this Court.
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[5] When the matters are taken up today, Mr. Th. Sukumar, learnedGovernment Advocate for the State respondents, has produced a copy of
the letter dated nil February, 2026 issued by the Director, JNIMS, Imphal to
the learned Government Advocate confirming that for General Medicine,
Pathology and Respiratory Medicine, there are no other eligible candidates
and for Paediatrics, one Dr. Ruthi Remei is also available. However, she has
not appeared in NEET-PG 2025 and not submitted any application and
hence, she will not be eligible for consideration against the JNIMS seats.
The letter dated nil February, 2026 is taken on record. A scanned copy of
the letter is reproduced hereinbelow:–
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[6] Mr. N. Ibotombi, learned senior counsel for the petitioners, submits
that since any other candidates are not available under the JNIMS Scheme
of 2022 for the year 2025 against the four subjects of General Medicine,
Pathology, Paediatrics and Respiratory Medicine, the four petitioners may
be allowed to participate in the counselling against the State quota for
admission to the PG Course 2025-2026 which is going to be started today,
i.e. 23-02-2026.
[7] Mr. Th. Sukumar, learned Government Advocate for the State
respondents, submits that the participation of the petitioners for counselling
in the State seats and their subsequent admission, if any, shall be made
subject to the “The Manipur Medical Postgraduate Seat Allotment Schemes,
2025”.
[8] This Court has perused the materials on record and in terms of the
interim order dated 28-11-2025, four seats have been reserved out of the
State quota for consideration under JNIMS Scheme of 2022. The letter
dated nil February, 2026 of the Director of JNIMS states that any other
candidates under the JNIMS scheme are not available. In the
circumstances, the petitioners are allowed to participate in the four seats
reserved under the JNIMS scheme of 2022 in terms of the interim order
dated 28-11-2025, letter dated 01-12-2025 and letter dated nil February,
2026.
[9] It is made clear that the participation of the petitioners in the
counselling for the State quota in PG course in JNIMS starting from 23-02-
2026 and admission, if any, will be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.
[10] MC(WP(C)) No. 133 of 2026 is allowed and disposed of.
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[11] List the remaining matters on 10-03-2026.
[12] Learned Government Advocate for the State respondents, prays
for some time to file counter affidavit in the main petition.
[13] Furnish a copy of this order to the learned counsel appearing for
the parties in the course of the day by Whatsapp or any other available
modes.
JUDGE
Victoria
NINGOM Digitally signed by
BAM NINGOMBAM VICTORIA
Date: 2026.02.23
17:08:11 +05'30'
VICTORIA
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