PG medical row goes to special bench

An assurance to this effect was given by the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar on Friday, when senior counsel P Wilson mentioned the matter and sought a special bench.

He cited Thursday’s division bench order advising the counsels to approach the chief justice for early and comprehensive hearing of the matter. It may be noted that on Thursday evening another senior counsel G Thilagavathy made a mention before the bench and she had been asked to file a memo along with the division bench verdict. 

As per the state norms, while all in-service doctors are eligible for a mark per year of service to the maximum of 10 marks, those employed in four notified difficult and remote or hilly areas were eligible for two marks per year of service. But MCI regulations earmarked 10 per cent of a candidate’s NEET-PG mark as incentive to the maximum of 30 per cent. A single judge upheld MCI norms, triggering protest by government doctors. 

On Thursday, a division bench headed by Huluvadi G Ramesh said the issue required a detailed and comprehensive hearing and that the parties, who included the government, could approach the Chief Justice for fixing an early date and special hearing. Since the High Court is entering a month-long summer recess on May 1, the request has been made for a special bench during the vacation, citing the fact that if the admissions are not completed as per national calendar of events, seats in the state would get lapsed.