HANAN SHAJAHAN CHITTOTHAYIL vs UNION OF INDIA THROUGH PRINCIPAL SECRETARY MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE NIRMAN BHAWAN NEAR UDYOG BHAWAN METRO STATION MAULANA AZAD ROAD NEW DELHI110011 & ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

$~7 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + LPA 582/2025 & CM APPL. 57801-02/2025 HANAN SHAJAHAN CHITTOTHAYIL .....Appellant Through: Mr.Santosh Kumar, Sr. Adv. with Mr.Nishant, Mr.Rohit Singh, Mr.Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Ms.Suruchi Yadav and Mr.Sanjeev Baghel, Advs. versus UNION OF INDIA THROUGH PRINCIPAL SECRETARY MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE NIRMAN BHAWAN NEAR UDYOG BHAWAN METRO STATION MAULANA AZAD ROAD NEW DELHI110011 & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Ms.Seema Dolo, Adv. for R-2/NTA. % Date of Decision: 25th September, 2025 CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA JUDGEMENT TUSHAR RAO GEDELA, J : (ORAL) 1. The present Letters Patent Appeal has been filed challenging the order dated 03.09.2025 passed by this Court in W.P.(C) 12752/2025, titled “Hanan Shajahan Chittothayil v. Union of India & Ors.”. By the said order, the learned Single Judge dismissed the writ petition holding that the appellant cannot be permitted to change her category from “General” to “OBC-NCL” in the portal of respondent no. 2/NTA, once she had failed to select the OBC-NCL category at the time of filling the application form and further failed to avail the correction window granted for the said Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed LPA 582/2025 Page 1 of 8 By:YASHRAJ Signing Date:26.09.2025 15:29:41 purpose. It was further observed that granting such relief to a single candidate would amount to creating an inequitable exception. 2. Mr. Santosh Kumar, learned senior counsel appearing for the appellant submits that as is apparent from the facts, the appellant committed a mistake which can be deemed to be a bona fide error while filling-up the online form for participating in the NEET (UG) Exam, 2025. In that instead of filling in “OBC-NCL” category, the app