Advocate General told to assist Telangana HC on service quota rules for PG admissions

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Advocate General to appear and assist the court on October 12 to clarify the state government’s position on whether under G.O.Ms. No. 155, doctors working under Telangana Vydya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) and Insurance Medical Services Department on service quota rules for admission to the Post Graduate seats.

Previously, the university’s standing counsel contended that under the G.O, TVVP, and Insurance Medical Services Department, doctors are only qualified for service quota if they put in 6 years of service regardless of tribal/rural/urban location.

The petitioner’s attorney argued before the division bench comprising Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Justice Namavarapu Rajeswara Rao that such an interpretation is nonsensical since one cannot compare the service provided by a doctor in a tribal or rural region to that provided in metropolitan areas. If such is the case, no doctor will want to practice in tribal or rural regions and will choose to work in the comfort of cities.

Four MBBS physicians from different government institutions filed a petition with the High Court about a difference in service quota eligibility for PG Medical seats for in-service candidates. They sought the court to rule that Kaloji University’s and others’ acts in labelling them as ‘Not Eligible as Service Candidate’ and prohibiting them from exercising their online options for admission to 2022-23 Convenor Quota - PG Medical Degree/Diploma seats under the service quota was unlawful.

Sama Sandeep Reddy, counsel for the petitioners, brought to the court’s attention that there is a specific provision to grant reservation for in-service physicians in PG Medical admissions at government and private medical schools. For the year 2021, according to GO 155, the petitioner doctors were denied admission under the competent authority quota despite meeting all eligibility criteria and passing the PG NEET qualifying tests.

After hearing both parties, the division bench asked the Advocate General to come in court on October 12 to help the court in clarifying the State government’s position and adjourned the plea until October 12.