High Court Relief to Doctor Seeking admission in PG Diploma Course as in service candidate

Mumbai: A 37-year-old practicing doctor was provided relief by the Bombay High Court which granted him permission to seek admission for a diploma course as an “in service” candidate. Earlier, the state government and denied permission to him for the same on grounds of not possessing the requisite three years of service.

Going by the ‘experience certificate’ of six years work submitted by the petitioner, a vacation bench of Justice Bharati H Dangre and Justice A K Menon passed an order in his favour. It observed, “…we are of the prima facie view that since the experience certificate itself records a total period of six years and eight days during which his services were found to be satisfactory and in tribal and remote areas for the concerned period, there is no reason to deny the petitioner the opportunity to apply for admission to the diploma course as an ‘in service’ candidate.

Dr Prakash Sonkamble filed a writ petition in 2018, challenging the non-inclusion of his name in the category of an “in-service diploma candidate in the Selection State Merit List”, published by the state government on April 26 and May 6, 2018.

Sonkamble in his writ declared himself to be eligible for being included in the merit list. His petition stated that he was not allowed to seek admission for the diploma course in pediatrics as “in-service diploma candidate” on the ground that he fell short in completing the called for 3 years of service by a month. Sonkamble application seeking admission for the diploma course was submitted under the in-service quota reports the Indian Express.

The petition declares Sonkamble to be a permanent employee working as a “Medical Officer” since September 2005 and having permanently served in tribal and hilly areas in Mahur taluka and Kinwat taluka for over six years. The petition further states Sonkamble to have “rendered valuable service to the state government in tribal, hilly and difficult areas in extremely difficult and harsh conditions”.

The Assistant Government Pleader (AGP) in a counter argument told the court that according to a temporary experience certificate of February 2018, the petitioner had worked in the notified areas between September 12, 2005, and July 21, 2008.

“Thus, the total duration of these postings counts the 2 years, 11 months and 8 days, which experience still falls short by 23 days,” the pleader claimed. The AGP however, added that the experience acquired by Sonkamble in taluka areas did add on to become part of the minimum desired three years’ experience.

Following the High Court relief rendered to Sonkamble he has been given admission in the civic-run, King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College for a pediatrics diploma course.