High Court of Tripura in an important order on Monday gave relief to PG aspiring five doctors who had been discharged by the Agartala Medical College and Hospital. Their discharge came in the wake of an order from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The five doctors Satyajit Das, Asish Das, Arpan Chakma, Sahani Debbarma, Nibedita Talapatra had taken admission in the MD/ Courses. They were awarded incentive marks over the marks that they had scored in their NEET PG 2021. The incentives came as per the government notification that had envisaged 10 percent incentive marks for in-service doctors for each year of their service in remote/difficult/rural areas. An in -service doctor was thus eligible for 10 per cent extra marks -upto maximum of 30 percent- over the marks that they would score in the NEET PG.
However, the National Medical Commission found the doctors could not score required percentage ( as relaxed for the SC/ST candidates) but could make it through with incentive marks for their service in the rural areas. The NMC in its communication dated July 22 last noted that since none of the five students qualified as per the cut-off percentile they should be ‘discharged’ from the course.. On the incentive marks, the NMC also pointed out that “The remote and/or difficult areas or Rural areas shall be notified by the State Government/competent authority from time to time”.
Principal of the AGMC accordingly acted and discharged them in an order on August 17 last. Aggrieved and concerned the five doctors moved the High Court and Justice Arindam Lodh after pursuing the case on Monday stayed the National Medical Commission order cancelling admission of five doctors saying that after hearing the arguments he did not find any infirmity in the methodology adopted by the competent authority of the State in determining the merits of the candidates.
Henceforth, Justice Lodh ordered that “Accordingly, the impugned memo dated August 17 last under which the petitioners have been discharged from pursuing their PG Course (MD/MS) shall remain suspended till the matter is disposed of finally”.
Justice Lodh also said in the order, “In the opinion of the Court, the matter is to be adjudicated and disposed of expeditiously, since it concerns the future if the petitioners. The respondents shall file the counter affidavit within seven days.
