PG medical admissions under court scanner

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20

The ongoing admissions to postgraduate courses by Baba Farid University today came under judicial scanner with the Punjab and Haryana High Court putting the university and the State of Punjab on notice on a writ petition challenging reservation of 60 per cent state quota seats for in-service PCMS doctors.

Taking up the matter, Justice Jaishree Thakur issued notice for March 8 to the Medical Council of India also on the petition filed by Dr Rajesh Kumar and Dr Amanpreet Singh through counsel HC Arora.

Working as Rural Medical Officers under the Panchayati Raj Department, they challenged the notification dated October 24, 2016, issued by the state government, reserving 60 per cent seats out of state quota seats for admission to postgraduate degree courses for in-service PCMS doctors.

The petitioners contended that the notification was illegal and unconstitutional, and was also in violation of Regulation 9 of the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, framed by the Medical Council of India.

Arora asserted that the Supreme Court had in a recent judgment referred to the regulation to hold reservation for in-service doctors was impermissible.

The SC also ruled in the judgment that the admissions to PG degree courses have to be made on the basis of a single merit list of all-India NEET.

Additional 10 per cent of marks obtained in NEET have to be given to such doctors for each year of service in remote and difficult areas notified by the state government or the competent authority, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent such marks. Further, such additional incentive marks have to be awarded to all doctors employed under the state government or public authority.