SC allows Tamil Nadu to allocate 50 per cent SS seats in medical colleges to in-service candidates

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the Tamil Nadu government to allocate 50 per cent of super-speciality seats in government medical colleges to NEET-qualified in-service candidates for the current academic year.

The permission was granted by the bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath in a clarification plea preferred by the state government and in-service candidates against HC’s November 18 ruling. 

HC’s ruling had come in a plea filed by in-service candidates seeking to direct the centre and state to allocate 50% Super Speciality seats in DM/M.Ch. Courses in Government Medical Colleges in favour of in-service Doctors of Tamil Nadu for the Academic Session 2022-2023.

Noting that since the matter was before the SC, the Madras HC bench of Justice Suresh Kumar had asked the state government to approach the SC seeking clarification regarding the applicability of the Tamil Nadu government notification dated November 7, 2020, of reserving 50% of seats in the Government medical colleges to in-service candidates for the academic year 2022-23.

“That it is open to the State Government as well as the petitioner herein to approach the Hon'ble Supreme Court to seek any clarification as to the continuation of the order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court during last year with regard to the conducting of counselling by the State of Tamil Nadu for filling up the 50% seats in Super Speciality courses available in Government Medical Colleges in the State of Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2022-2023 also by following the import of G.O.Ms.No.462 dated 07.11.2020,” HC had said. 

In N Karthikeyan’s case, the SC bench led by former SC judge, Justice LN Rao had refused to stay the state government’s November 7 notification had expressed a prima facie view that States are competent to provide reservations for in-service doctors in super-speciality medical courses.