The vs The State Of Tripura on 19 January, 2026

Author: T. Amarnath Goud

Bench: T. Amarnath Goud

                                    Page 1 of 5




                         HIGH COURT OF TRIPURA
                               AGARTALA
                           WP(C) NO.535 OF 2025
     Mr. Suprit Das,
     S/o. Sri Sanjit Das,
     R/o Durai Shibbari, Kamalpur, Dhalai, Tripura,
     P.O- South Manikbhandar, P.S.- Kamalpur, PIN-799287.
                                                ........ The Petitioner
                                   Vs.

     1. The State of Tripura,
     (To be represented the Secretary, Department of Health and Family
     Welfare, Government of Tripura), New Secretariat Complex, Agartala,
     West Tripura, PIN-799010.

     2. The Secretary, Department of Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribes
     Welfare, New Secretariat Complex, Agartala, West Tripura, PIN-799010.

     3. The Director of Medical Education, Directorate of Medical Education,
     P. B. Das Memorial Building (2nd Floor), Bidurkarta Chaumahani,
     Agartala, West Tripura, PIN-799001.

     4. The Principal, Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and
     Technology, Abhoynagar, Agartala, West Tripura, PIN-799005.
                                                         ....... Respondents.

For Petitioner(s) : Mr. P. Roy Barman, Sr. Advocate.

Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, Advocate. ` Mr. K. Nath, Advocate.

Mr. D. Paul, Advocate.

Ms. A. Debbarma, Advocate.

Mr. T. Dhar, Advocate.


     For Respondent(s)              : Mr. Kohinoor N. Bhattacharjee, G.A.
                                      Mr. K. De, Addl. G.A.

     Date of hearing and delivery
     of judgment and order          : 19.01.2026.

     Whether fit for reporting      : YES/NO.


               HON'BLE JUSTICE DR. T. AMARNATH GOUD
                    JUDGMENT & ORDER(ORAL)

1. Heard Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner as well as Mr. K. De, learned Addl. G.A., appearing for the respondents.

2. The brief facts of this case are that the petitioner, a Scheduled Caste candidate and a graduate of Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology (in short, "RIPSAT"), seeks admission to the M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics) course at RIPSAT for the academic year 2025-2026, for which six seats were notified by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tripura, vide Memorandum dated 08.07.2025, providing that four seats were meant for Tripura candidates passed out from RIPSAT and two seats were open to candidates from North-Eastern States including Tripura. However, pursuant thereto, the In-charge Director of Medical Education issued Notifications dated 02.09.2025 and 04.09.2025 bifurcating the six seats in such a manner that three seats were earmarked for the Unreserved category and three seats for the Scheduled Tribe category, without earmarking even a single seat for Scheduled Caste candidates, thereby violating the mandatory provisions. Aggrieved thereby, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 06.09.2025 pointing out the illegality and seeking rectification, but no corrective action was taken despite the impending last dates of application, compelling the petitioner to approach this Court seeking the following reliefs:-

"i. Issue Rule upon the Respondents to quash/cancel impugned Notifications, dated, 02.09.2025 and 04.09.2025.

ii. Issue Rule upon the Respondents to issue fresh Notifications for filling up the 6 (six) vacant seats in the M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics) course at RIPSAT for the academic year 2025-2026, by showing the proper breakup of vacancies in strict conformity with Section 5 of the Act, 1991, and the 100-point roster appended thereto.

iii. Make the Rules absolute;

iv. Call for all records;

v. Pass any other or further Order(s) as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper."

3. Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, contended that while notifying the said four vacant seats, the respondents divided the seats into two for the Unreserved category and two for the Scheduled Tribe category, without earmarking any seat for the Scheduled Caste category. Learned counsel argued that such distribution was in clear violation of Section 5 of the Tripura Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Reservation Act, 1991, read with the 100-point roster,

which mandatorily requires reservation for Scheduled Caste candidates. It was further submitted that as per the applicable roster points for the four vacant seats, at least one seat ought to have been earmarked for the Scheduled Caste category, and the failure to do so deprived the petitioner, a Scheduled Caste candidate, of his lawful right to be considered for admission. The petitioner, therefore, sought correction of the roster and the consequential admission process strictly in accordance with law.

4. Mr. K. De, learned Addl. G.A. appearing for the respondents, in all fairness, placed documents on record and submitted that while issuing the earlier notifications, an inadvertent mistake had crept in with regard to maintenance of the roster for the four vacant seats. It was submitted that upon realization of the said error, RIPSAT, Tripura, by virtue of a communication dated 10.11.2025, rectified the mistake and issued a revised roster strictly in conformity with the 100-point roster under the Tripura Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Reservation Act, 1991. Learned Addl. G.A. pointed out that as per the revised roster points applicable to the four seats, the correct distribution has now been made as two seats for the Unreserved category, one seat for the Scheduled Tribe category, and one seat for the Scheduled Caste category. It was fairly conceded that the petitioner's grievance regarding non-allotment of a Scheduled Caste seat stands redressed by the respondents themselves, and the issue relating to fixation of roster no longer survives. It was further submitted that necessary steps would be taken to fill up the Scheduled Caste seat in accordance with the prescribed procedure and eligibility norms.

5. Heard and perused the evidence on record.

6. It is seen from the counter affidavit filed by the respondents that out of the total sanctioned six seats in the M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics) course for the academic year 2025-2026, two seats had already been occupied and only four seats remained available for admission at RIPSAT, Tripura. However, the only point which falls for consideration is that the roster point was not followed inasmuch as the four available

seats were divided into two under the Unreserved category and two under the Scheduled Tribe category, and no seat was allotted for Scheduled Caste candidates. To this argument, by way of counter, the documents placed on record by the respondents, in all fairness, indicate that an inadvertent mistake had crept in and now, by virtue of the communication dated 10.11.2025, RIPSAT has rectified the mistake and accordingly issued a revised roster showing two seats for Unreserved, one for Scheduled Tribe, and one for Scheduled Caste. The same is extracted here-in-below:-

"Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics) Academic Session 2025-26 10/11/2025.

A letter received from the I/C Principal, Regional Institute of Pharmaceutical Science RIPSAT/2021/(sub-1) dated 18th August, 2025 regarding nomination for 04 No's Technology, vide order No.F.11(2)-seats in M. Pharm and representative RIPSAT, for the academic year 2025-26, allotted 04 no's M. Pharm seats for candidate.

As per 100 point Roster was in advertently maintained for the rest 04(four) vacant seats for admission into M.Pharmed re-roistering of the Tripura Reservation at 1991 the Roster of seats as per is Roster point 12-15 is as follow:-

Sl. No             Roster point             Categories Earmarked for
1.                 12                       ST
2.                 13                       UR
3.                 14                       SC
4.                 15                       UR
                                           UR-02, ST-01, SC-01

File is placed to the Competent Authority for kind 100-point Roster Verification, if agreed to."

7. In view of the same, the claim of the petitioner on the point that one seat should be reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates is answered by the respondents themselves. In all fairness, the respondents' counsel agrees to the same. Accordingly, the issue which falls for consideration with regard to fixation of roster stands resolved.

8. Now, the point which falls for consideration is that since one seat has been earmarked for Scheduled Caste candidates, the seat shall be filled up with eligible candidates under the Scheduled Caste category. Respondent-RIPSAT is at liberty to take steps as per procedure at the earliest.

9. With the above observation and direction, this present writ petition stands disposed. As a sequel, stay if any stands vacated. Pending application(s), if any also stands closed.




                                                                             DR. T. AMARNATH GOUD, J

    Suhanjit


RAJKUMAR        SUHANJIT SINGHA
SUHANJIT SINGHA Date: 2026.01.20 16:06:09
                +05'30'