In-service doctors to get reservation in PG degree courses

In-service doctors seeking admissions to postgraduate degree courses through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) will now get the benefit of reservation just like those pursuing postgraduate diploma courses.

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed states to grant the benefit of reservation to such doctors while noting that the Medical Council of India (MCI) has no power to provide or not provide reservation for in-service doctors in admission to PG courses.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, Vineet Saran, Indira Banerjee, MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose, however, said the doctors availing of such a benefit must sign a bond for five years in service in remote/rural area after completing the PG course.

The SC bench observed that MCI regulation that barred such reservation was “unconstitutional and arbitrary”. It asked the states to formulate a scheme for rural/remote service by in-service doctors after completing PG degree.

Doctors from Kerala, Maharashtra and Haryana had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the validity of the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000.

The plea suggested that granting reservation benefits would encourage those working in government hospitals and in rural areas to do better. The in-service doctors said that they work around the clock for the benefit of people and hardly find time to study and compete with the general merit candidates.

Notably, 50 per cent seats in PG diploma courses are reserved for medical officers in the government service, but the MCI regulations barred it in PG degree courses. All the admissions to PG degree courses are conducted through NEET and 50 per cent seats are filled through all India quota and the remaining 50 per cent from state quota.

The Central government and the MCI had opposed the plea contending that granting reservations or a separate source of entry for in-service candidates would directly impinge on the authority of MCI to coordinate and determine standards of medical education.