Two-judge special bench to hear PG medical admission case

High Court sources revealed that the bench will hear the appeals filed by the state government as well as aggrieved doctors in government service, most likely on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

With the PG medical admissions scheduled to commence in the beginning of the month already undergoing a delay owing to court cases and agitations by Government doctors, it is said that since it is not a vacation bench, but a specially constituted bench, the onus is on the counsels to ensure that the submissions are done quick so as to provide the bench sufficient time to offer the verdict without much delay. 

The controversy has its source in a plea moved by an assistant civil surgeon working in The Nilgiris district. He sought for a direction to adhere to this year’s MCI regulations on awarding incentives to in-service candidates. As against the state policy of awarding one mark for each year in government service for all doctors, besides two marks each year for those employed in certain notified areas, the MCI envisaged a scheme wherein 10 per cent of a candidate’s NEETPG marks will be awarded every year of his service, subject to the maximum of 30 per cent. 

On April 17, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana in her order made it clear that this year’s PG medical admissions must follow the MCI guidelines and not state policy. This resulted in agitation by government doctors who wanted no interference with the 35-year-old practice of awarding incentives to all in-service candidates. Though the government and aggrieved doctors rushed to High Court with appeals, a division bench had on Thursday said the issue was complex and required comprehensive hearing. This had led to the creation of a special division bench.