SC to examine if students can seek exemption from rural service merely because they studied in private medical college

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Karnataka Government on a petition challenging its notification making it mandatory for medical students to do compulsory public rural service to be eligible to get permanent registration with the state medical council.

A Vacation Bench led by Justice PS Narasimha agreed to examine if a medical graduate could seek exemption from rendering one-year public rural service just because he/she went to a private medical college.

“What is wrong? Private (institution) people have no obligation to nation building? Just because you go and study in a private hospital, or a private college... you have an exemption from working in rural areas? What is this which gives you an exemption just because you studied in a private medical college that you cannot work in rural areas?” asked the Bench which also included Justice Sanjay Karol.

The Bench was hearing a petition filed by five MBBS students graduating from private seats of a deemed university in Karnataka. They have sought a direction to the Commissionerate, Health and Family Welfare Services, Government of Karnataka, to issue them the required no objection certificate (NOC) without subjecting them to swear an affidavit of compulsory rural service.

As the petitioners’ counsel said there were language and other issues, the Bench shot back, “So what? It’s a beautiful thing that you go somewhere else and work. You walk up and down India and work in different rural areas. That is such a beautiful thing to do.

“Where do you get these ideas? Because you have purchased your degree…Private medical colleges need not be compelled or forced to work in rural areas...can you even say something like that? Can the students be permitted to argue like that...,” it wondered.

The July 28, 2023 notification made it mandatory for every MBBS graduate, Post-Graduate (Diploma or Degree) and Super Specialty candidate from a government university or on a government seat in a private/deemed university to render one-year of compulsory public rural service in order to obtain the requisite ‘No-objection Certificate’ to be eligible for permanent registration with the Karnataka Medical Council.

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