In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the Nagaland Government’s position in the case of Vatsala Panghal, who sought an MBBS seat from the state’s allocated central pool. The court established a crucial legal precedent affirming that non-indigenous candidates cannot claim seats designated for Nagaland. The legal proceedings commenced in July 2025, initiated by Panghal, who scored 455 in NEET-UG 2025, securing an All-India Rank of 1,13,803 but asserted a rank of No. 2 in Nagaland. The case progressed through the Gauhati High Court’s Kohima bench and then to the Division Bench, where the State Government, represented by Additional Advocate General Vihelieu Suokhrie, presented its arguments. The Supreme Court’s verdict ultimately declined to interfere with the prior judgments of the Gauhati High Court, dismissing the Special Leave Petition and associated applications. This ruling resulted from extensive preparation and dedicated advocacy by K.N. Balgopal, the Advocate General of Nagaland, culminating in the resolution of a prolonged legal dispute.
Non-indigenous candidate’s ineligible for Nagaland MBBS central pool seat: SC
