Prefer in-service government doctors in rural hospitals for super specialty seats: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday advocated for prioritizing in-service doctors from remote government hospitals for super specialty medical courses, emphasizing their crucial role in serving public health. The court issued a notice on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, which seeks to prevent the state government from surrendering 151 super specialty seats to the all-India quota (AIQ).

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We are concerned with public health, whichever state it be.

A bench comprising justices BV Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi stated, "We are concerned with public health, whichever state it be." The petitioner's counsel, P Wilson, argued that these vacant seats should not be transferred to the AIQ, as government doctors are better positioned to serve the public than their private counterparts. Equipping them with advanced skills, he contended, would directly benefit the general populace.

Advocate Mithu Jain, representing the National Medical Commission (NMC), informed the court that the second round of AIQ counseling for NEET-SS 2025 has been delayed due to Tamil Nadu's reluctance to surrender the seats. She noted that a previous Supreme Court order on May 29 had directed Tamil Nadu to report vacant in-service seats after the April counseling, but the state had not complied. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has filed an application to enforce the May 29 order.

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A government doctor serves public health better than a private doctor. If a government doctor acquires speciality skills, he can serve the cause of public health better.

Justice Nagarathna observed that government doctors face unique challenges, balancing service and study, which impacts their merit compared to those studying full-time. "The cutoff for them must be low since their merit comes down as they have to serve and study at the same time compared to post-graduate students who may be sitting at home," she remarked. The court supported the idea of a quota for in-service doctors, questioning what would be left for them if the AIQ took away these seats.

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The cutoff for them must be low since their merit comes down as they have to serve and study at the same time compared to post-graduate students who may be sitting at home.