Merit vs domicile
India faces an acute shortfall of doctors both in terms of quantity as well as quality; the situation is even worse when it comes to specialists. A major stumbling block has been domicile-based reservation under the state quota in postgraduate (PG) medical courses; it has brazenly undermined the primacy of merit. Righting a grave wrong, the Supreme Court has ruled that such reservation is unconstitutional. Allowing it would infringe upon the fundamental rights of many students, the court has rightly said. Indeed, giving aspirants a raw deal because they belong to a different state runs counter to Article 14 (equality before the law) of the Constitution. This equality is guaranteed to every Indian citizen across the length and breadth of the country. Now, the playing field has been levelled for medical graduates who opt for specialisation to boost their career prospects.
The bottom line is that merit cannot be compromised at the PG level, even as residence-based reservation can be permissible to an extent in undergraduate or MBBS courses. India’s ailing healthcare system cannot afford to be crippled by the presence of below-par specialists. According to the Health Dynamics of India 2022-23 report, which was released by the Union Health Ministry in September last year, the problem is severe in rural areas, where there is nearly 80 per cent shortage of specialist doctors at community health centres. No wonder countless patients rush to multi-speciality hospitals in nearby or even distant cities, thereby putting these overstretched institutions under greater strain. The widespread reluctance of some medical professionals to serve in the hinterland is another issue that needs to be urgently addressed.
Competent specialists can make all the difference when it comes to giving timely and effective medical treatment. They are needed in every part of the country, not just in their hometown. The apex court has shown the way by doing away with the parochial and flawed consideration of residence for PG admissions.
