NEWS TODAY 29.09.2026

The Guardians And Wards Act Applies Only To Minors: Delhi High Court Stays An MCC Requirement Of A Guardianship Certificate For An Adult NEET NRI-Quota Candidate

By Priyanka Jha

22 September 2026, 3:59 PM

An 18-year-old who cleared NEET wanted an NRI-quota seat, sponsored by her NRI maternal uncle, the relative who had supported her since she lost her father. The counselling portal rejected her documents, demanding a court order under the Guardians and Wards Act to prove the uncle was her legal guardian. But that Act, the Delhi High Court noted, is about the guardianship of minors, and she is an adult. Prima facie, the Court held, an adult candidate need not produce such a certificate at all, and it stayed the requirement in her case, letting her upload her documents and take part in counselling while the matter is heard.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to a NEET-UG 2026 candidate seeking admission under the NRI quota, staying in her case a Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) requirement that she produce documentary proof of guardianship under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, on the prima facie view that the Act applies only to minors and not to a candidate who has crossed the age of 18 [Ashwika Singhal v. Union of India and Others].

Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notice on the petition and the interim application, and stayed the applicability of the impugned requirement qua the petitioner till the next date of hearing.

What the case is about

The petitioner qualified NEET-UG 2026 and sought admission to medical (allied) courses under the 15% NRI quota, sponsored by her maternal uncle, her nearest relative, an Overseas Citizen of India settled in Australia, who, according to the petition, has largely supported her since she lost her father in 2023. She uploaded the documents to show that her uncle had treated her as his ward and had a genuine interest in her affairs, said to be in line with the Supreme Court’s guidelines in Consortium of Deemed Universities in Karnataka v. Union of India.

The online portal, however, rejected her documents on the ground that she had not uploaded a court order showing that her sponsor is her legal guardian. She challenged an MCC notification of May 2026 which required NRI-quota candidates to demonstrate, by evidential proof or a legal document, that the sponsor is a bona fide legal guardian of the candidate under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, and sought to be allowed to participate in Round 3 of the counselling.

ALSO READ: If You Can’t Pay Fees, Apply For Scholarship: Supreme Court Rejects EWS Student’s Plea Over Private Medical College Fees

Guardianship, and who is a ‘ward’

The Court examined the scheme of the Guardians and Wards Act. Under Section 4, a ‘guardian’ means a person having the care of the person or property of a minor, and a ‘ward’ means a minor for whose person or property there is a guardian; and Section 8 lists those who may apply for an order appointing a guardian, in each case of a minor. A perusal of these provisions, the Court held, shows that the Act is applicable only to minor children and to persons taking care of minors, and prima facie does not seem to apply to persons aged 18 and above.

The petitioner’s date of birth, the Court noted, is stated to be December 21, 2007, so that she has already crossed 18. On that footing, the Court held, the impugned portion of the MCC circular prima facie appears to be inapplicable to her, as an adult who does not need to obtain the certificate required under the Guardians and Wards Act.

The interim order

For those reasons, the Court stayed, until the next date of hearing, the applicability of the impugned paragraph of the MCC notification qua the petitioner, and directed that she be permitted to upload her documents forthwith, or, if that was not possible online, to hand them over physically. It issued notice on the petition and the interim application, and, the Central Government Standing Counsel having sought time to obtain instructions, listed the matter for October 12, 2026.

ALSO READ: We Will Come And See Whether The System Is Actually Working: Supreme Court To Inspect NTA Office, Seeks Progress Report From Nilekani Panel

Why it matters

For NEET aspirants applying under the NRI quota, the order addresses a practical snag that can derail an admission at the counselling stage. The NRI quota allows a candidate sponsored by an NRI relative to compete for a set of seats, and the authorities are entitled to verify that the sponsor genuinely stands in a guardian-like relationship to the candidate, precisely to prevent misuse of the quota. The question the case raises is what proof can fairly be demanded: the Court’s prima facie view is that a formal guardianship order under the Guardians and Wards Act, an Act concerned with minors, cannot be insisted upon from a candidate who is already an adult, for whom no such guardianship exists or is needed in law.

The distinction the Court drew is a simple but important one. Guardianship in the legal sense attaches to minors; on turning 18, a person is their own guardian, and there is no one for a court to appoint as guardian over them. To require an adult NRI-quota candidate to produce a court order proving legal guardianship is therefore to ask for a document the law does not contemplate for adults, which is why the requirement was stayed in the petitioner’s case. That is not to say the sponsorship itself goes unverified; the authorities remain free to satisfy themselves, through the affidavit and evidence the guidelines otherwise require, that the NRI sponsor is genuinely the candidate’s near relative and supporter.

It should be kept in mind that this is an interim order, and the relief is confined to the petitioner. The Court has recorded only a prima facie view; it has issued notice, and the final position will be settled after the MCC and the Union file their response and the matter is heard on October 12. Candidates in a similar position should not read the order as a general dispensation, but it does signal the Court’s initial approach, that the guardianship-certificate requirement, drawn from a statute meant for minors, sits uneasily with a quota open to adult candidates.

Case Title: Ashwika Singhal v. Union of India through Secretary and Others [W.P.(C) 13770/2026]

Bench: Justice Jasmeet Singh, High Court of Delhi at New Delhi

Date of Order: September 18, 2026

Appearances: Advocate Archana Surve Shinde for the petitioner; Central Government Standing Counsel Avshreya Pratap Singh Rudy, with others, for the respondents.

Status: Interim relief granted; applicability of the MCC’s guardianship-certificate requirement stayed qua the petitioner, who is permitted to upload her documents. Prima facie view that the Guardians and Wards Act applies only to minors. Listed for October 12, 2026.

Govt rehab centre aids senior citizens addicted to scrolling

Govt rehab centre aids senior citizens addicted to scrolling

Tarika.Balakannan@timesofindia.com 29.09.2026

Chennai: What began as a de-addiction centre for students and youths who became overly dependent on the internet during the Covid-19 pandemic is now also seeing senior citizens seeking treatment for the problem, doctors at Omandurar Government Medical College Hospital said. 

The centre was launched in 2021 as an exclusive facility to treat internet addiction, since study material for children and work for adults went online, and consumption of internet increased considerably. Five years on, senior citizens are also commonly diagnosed with internet addiction, says head of department of psychiatry, Dr Malar Moses. 

“Internet addiction is as bad as cocaine addiction,” she said. The centre records 10 to 15 new cases every month. Between Aug 2024 and Aug 2026, they treated 291 such cases. For many elderly patients who spend long periods alone, serials, political content and entertainment on phones can gradually fill up much of their day, Dr Malar said. 

“Due to their age, sleeplessness is common. With the addiction, their anxiety levels and sleeplessness might worsen, and they will need help,” she added. A 55-year-old man from Tuticorin recently approached the centre with severe anxiety and a drinking problem. He was also suffering from suicidal thoughts, and he was treated at the general psychiatry ward for a week. He received regular counselling at the de-addiction centre as well. 

“During his 21-day stay at the hospital, he understood his role in the family and decided to stay away from both the screen and alcohol,” said R Deepika, psychiatrist and social worker at the hospital. Patients are advised to restrict social media use to 45 minutes a day, although doctors accept that it is difficult for families to distinguish between screen time spent on work or studies and time spent purely for entertainment. 

Among children, early screen exposure is also causing developmental delays that are severe enough to be mistaken for autism. Since last year, the centre has expanded into a comprehensive facility treating several forms of addiction, including alcohol and drugs. 

Between Aug 2024 and Aug this year, 9,605 outpatient visits and 566 inpatient admissions were recorded for alcohol addiction. “Many 29/09/2026, 06:13 Govt rehab centre aids senior citizens addicted to scrolling Many   think of our centre as a jail. But nobody is admitted here without their consent,” said Dr Malar. 

Some former patients have even come back to donate items such as kettles, books, and a carrom board. Two months ago, a donor sent a washing machine. The centre welcomes donations in the form of books or board games. B A Raju 

EXPANDED: The centre has turned into a comprehensive facility treating several forms of addiction, including alcohol and drugs

‘Med college makes hostel stay mandatory, seeks extra 8.2L’

‘Med college makes hostel stay mandatory, seeks extra 8.2L’ 

29.09.2026

Chennai: Students allotted seats at private medical colleges in the state have written to Directorate of Medical Education, saying they were told after allotment that the MBBS programme was fully residential and would cost an extra 8.2 lakh. 

“We received complaints that students were asked to pay excess fees, including hostel charges. Complaints were forwarded to the fee committee for further action,” said selection committee secretary Dr V Lokanayaki. The fee fixation committee decides annual tuition fees for private institutions, excluding deemed universities. 

For 2026, MBBS tuition fees in private colleges range from 4.35 lakh to 5.4 lakh for govt-quota seats in self-financing colleges and state private universities, and from 15 lakh to 16.2 lakh for management seats. 

Parents said Kanyakumari Medical Mission Medical College and Research Centre made hostel accommodation compulsory while admissions were under way. “My niece chose this college because she can stay at my place. Her travel time will be just half an hour. Why should she stay at a hostel for 8.27 lakh? If they had informed us about this before counselling, we would not have opted for a seat here,” said S Sarala. 

The college, a constituent of St Joseph University, told parents that it has made it mandatory for MBBS students to stay in approved hostels for the four-and-a-half-year course and the one-year internship. Attempts to reach the college administration by TOI were unsuccessful. 

“Doctors at the college told parents the policy was intended to ensure academic continuity, clinical training, safety, and discipline. Parents were surprised by this decision when they came to pay the fees,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. 

The National Medical Commission said colleges cannot make hostel accommodation mandatory. Senior officials confirmed that while colleges must provide accommodation, students are not obliged to live on campus or pay hostel fees if they live elsewhere. 

“Complaints are filed every year. The selection committee forwards them to the fee committee, but no action is taken. Colleges then target students who complain. The selection committee must amend its rules to gain powers to act on complaints,” Arumugam said. 

Times News Network 

https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-chennai.cms 1/2 complaints received 29/09/2026, 06:03 

NEWS TODAY 28.09.2026

 

12-year-old dies at school; autopsy cites heart attack

12-year-old dies at school; autopsy cites heart attack 

28.09.2026

Lucknow: A 12-year-old Class 7 student died after collapsing at her school in Kushinagar’s Ramkola area, with a post-mortem report attributing the death to a heart attack, officials said on Sunday. 

The girl, according to her family and local accounts, reached school on Wednesday morning and collapsed around 10 am while sitting on a bench. Classmates raised an alarm and informed her family. Relatives rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. 

The death triggered allegations from the family that school staff failed to respond quickly and delayed arranging medical help. Family members and villagers staged a protest with the body for nearly three hours, demanding action against those responsible and alleging negligence by the school administration. 

Neha was initially buried without a post-mortem examination. Two days later, her grandfather, Jawahir Bharti, approached Kushinagar district magistrate Sanjay Chauhan seeking an examination, citing doubts and concerns about the circumstances of the child’s death. 

Following the request, authorities ordered the exhumation of the body. On Friday evening, the body was exhumed in the presence of Khadda sub-divisional magistrate (Judicial/Magistrate) and circle officer Ajay Kumar Srivastava, and sent for a post-mortem. The post-mortem report, released on Sunday, said the cause of death was a heart attack. 

Police said viscera samples have been preserved for further examination. The finding stunned the family and residents, who said they did not expect a cardiac-related death in a 12-year-old. Neha’s father, Rajaram alias Bablu, who works at a namkeen factory in Mumbai, alleged that timely treatment could have saved her. “If she had received proper treatment on time, she would have been alive today,” he said. After the incident, basic education officer Anil Kumar suspended teacher Yogendra Srivastava. Times News Network kushinagar

Soft by name, steely by nature: IAF doc posted in Knp secures NEET PG AIR 2

Soft by name, steely by nature: IAF doc posted in Knp secures NEET PG AIR 2

Arvind.Chauhan@timesofindia.com 28.09.2026

Lucknow: When the NEET PG 2026 results were declared on Sept 24, Sqn Ldr Pallakshi Prasad (28), a medical officer posted at Air Force Station Kanpur, drew widespread praise after securing All India Rank 2. 

Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja congratulated the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) alumna from the C3 batch, calling the result a proud moment for the Armed Forces Medical Services. 

For Pallakshi, whose name means “soft,” the achievement follows years of regimented preparation alongside demanding military postings. “I always knew I wanted to become a doctor,” she said, crediting her parents’support despite both being engineers. Born in Ranchi and raised in Hyderabad, she studied at Delhi Public School before clearing NEET UG 2016 with an All India Rank of 1,312 without taking a drop year. With limited options due to home-state admission rules, she applied to AFMC at her mother’s urging. Her mother, Shyamlee Prasad, is a practice head at Infosys. 

Pallakshi entered AFMC after securing girls’ merit rank 3 and later graduated sixth in overall merit in her batch. “I fell in love with the AFMC campus and everything it stood for. By the time I graduated, I didn’t feel like an outsider to the uniform anymore. Taking permanent commission was a natural decision,” she said. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 15, 2021, she served for nearly two and a half years as a medical officer on a warship before moving to the Indian Air Force in 2025.