“ … … … 6. (1) For filling up of the seats for admission in a particular academic session, as fixed in terms of sub rule(2) of rule(4) the following procedure shall be followed :

(a) a general merit list based exclusively on merit as reflected in the results of the relevant examination or selection test irrespective of castes, tribes or classes shall be prepared separately for each course, stream or subject in each Higher Educational Institution to fill up the unreserved seats. Separate merit lists of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class, Category'A' and the Other Backward Class, Category 'B' candidates shall be prepared for each course/stream/subject in each higher educational institution to fill up the seats reserved for these respective categories. The Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Other Backward Class, Category -A and the Other Backward Class, Category -B candidates who have been placed in the general merit list to fill up unreserved seats shall not be taken into account in the reserved list for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Other Backward Class, Category-A and the Other Backward Class, Category-B candidates, as the case may be;

(b) simultaneously, the SC/ST/OBC candidates who have found place in the general merit list on the basis of their merit shall also be placed in the list of reserved seats for SC/ST/OBC as per their inter se merit and be asked to exercise their option on whether they would like to be place in the general merit list or the separate merit list for reserved candidates of SC/ST/OBC. Admission would be made as per the option exercised by the candidates. The option once exercised shall not be altered under any circumstances;

(c) for admission to different courses, an SC or ST candidate getting admission should have obtained in the previous examination, qualifying marks not lower by more than 25% of the marks obtained by the last candidate of the general category. In case of OBC-A and OBC-B the candidates getting admission should have obtained in the previous examination, qualifying marks not lower by more than 10% from the marks obtained by the last candidate of the general category. In any case, if a candidate obtains marks lower than the minimum qualifying marks prescribed by the University / Appropriate Authority for admission to the relevant course, he will not be eligible for admission; … … …”