Denied government seats despite higher NEET merit, how 4 students got their fees back after 6-year fight

Four medical students in Aurangabad fought a six-year battle to get their private college fees refunded after the Maharashtra government denied them reimbursement despite having higher NEET scores than 25 other beneficiaries. The dispute arose when the Centre introduced 10 percent reservations for EWS and Maharashtra introduced SEBC and Maratha reservations in medical colleges.

The students claimed they lost out on government seats because the quotas were applied to the 85% state quota, which left them with no choice but to pay private college fees. The state offered a one-time scheme for reimbursement, but the petitioners were excluded as they could not have secured admission in government or aided colleges without reservations.

The students had to bear the cost of private medical education, with some families even using their lifetime savings to fund their daughters' education. The court expressed disappointment over the "suspicious and non-transparent" stand taken by state authorities and ordered reimbursement of fees with 6% simple interest within eight weeks.