Tamil Nadu: MCI stays firm on stand-PG admissions of Govt doctors as per regulations

Chennai: The apex medical education regulator continues to stay firm in its stand that post-graduate medical admissions for serving doctors of the Tamil Nadu government must be done only as per the new Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations. The apex education regulator during a hearing made it explicitly clear to the Madras High Court that the state could have its own reservation ruling, but marks were to be awarded in accordance to MCI regulations.

A division bench comprising Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice RMT Teekaa Raman were made the above submission by the Counsel of the apex education body, as the government doctors across the state staged protests, against a single judge ruling, which made it compulsory for the state to adopt MCI regulations for post graduate admissions. The court however, pronounced that a decision in this regard would be taken, during the hearing to be held on Thursday,27^th April.

In the course of arguments the Council’s advocate submitted that one mark was being granted to doctors for every year of service, put in by them in remote areas, subject to a maximum of 10 marks. This year however the National Board of Examinations(NBE), which conducts NEET-PG had decided to change the regulation and grant government doctors serving in difficult or remote regions- 10% of marks they score in NEET-PG, as an incentive for every year of service, totaling at 30% after a three year period.

Giving this new regulation as an example, a civil surgeon serving in the Nilgiris district filed a petition in the High Court and won the favour of the court, which granted him the 30% eligibility of his NEET PG score.

Criticizing the Court’s stance in this case, the state government and doctors have filed the present set of appeals.

Senior Advocate, P Wilson defending these appeals filed by the state government and doctors observed that the petitioner-student would not be eligible for even the MCI-stipulated incentive, as he was from neither 'remote' nor 'difficult' areas, and that hilly regions are not to be defined as either remote or difficult.

Citing a college prospectus, Wilson said that the state government had clearly spelt out how serving candidates are to be admitted and marks awarded to them. There are 5 categories and they should be adopted in the manner reflected in the prospectus, he stated. He further added that the petitioner had not challenged the validity of the prospectus and it was now late to change criterion for PG admissions, reports TOI.