On a February afternoon inside the Supreme Court of India, just as the bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant was preparing to rise, a young voice requested ten more minutes. The plea did not come from a senior advocate in black robes but from 19-year-old Atharva Chaturvedi of Jabalpur — a recent Class 12 graduate with a dream of becoming a doctor. Those additional minutes proved decisive.
Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the apex court directed the National Medical Commission and the Madhya Pradesh government to grant provisional MBBS admission to NEET-qualified candidates from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). For Atharva, whose aspirations had nearly slipped away, the judgment opened a long-shut door.
A Dream Interrupted By Policy Gaps
Atharva’s academic record was strong. He cleared both engineering and medical entrance examinations but ultimately chose to pursue medicine. After appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) twice, he secured 530 marks, as per a report on NDTV.
Despite qualifying, he was unable to gain admission under the EWS quota in private medical colleges because Madhya Pradesh had not extended EWS reservations to such institutions. The absence of a formal notification effectively blocked his path.
The court later observed that a student cannot be penalized for administrative or policy lapses by the state.
Teen Petitioner Takes On The System
Rather than giving up, Atharva decided to challenge the denial himself. With his father being a lawyer, he had some exposure to legal processes but no formal training. He visited the Supreme Court website, downloaded the Special Leave Petition (SLP) template, studied procedural requirements, and drafted his own petition.
After addressing registry objections, he filed it online on January 6. When the matter came up for hearing and the bench appeared ready to conclude proceedings, Atharva sought ten additional minutes to present his arguments.
The court agreed to hear him.
Article 142 Powers Change The Outcome
Exercising its constitutional authority under Article 142, the Supreme Court granted relief, directing authorities to ensure provisional admission for eligible EWS candidates like Atharva.
For the teenager from Jabalpur, the ruling was more than a personal victory.
