In service rural docs entitled to weightage of marks

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of the High Court at Hyderabad on Monday held that in service medical officers, who served in rural/tribal/remote or difficult areas, were entitled to weightage of marks at the rate of 10 per cent per year for each year of service rendered in those areas subject to a maximum weightage of 30 per cent.

The judge was dealing with a petition filed by Dr D Gopal Rao, a practising government doctor from Warangal. He complained that the Telangana State government and the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences had refused to consider his representation requesting to add 30 per cent weightage marks for the ongoing admission into Super Specialty Courses (PG 2) for the academic year 2016-17.

The petitioner pointed out that the action of the authorities was contrary to regulation 9 of the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 (as amended) and the directive of the apex court. “When that is the larger perspective and ideology behind the rural/remote/difficult area posting under the compulsory government service formulation, certainly the in-service medical officers like the petitioner who had rendered rural/tribal service for almost five years and who were duty-bound to serve in such rural or difficult areas as per administrative exigencies, are entitled to weightage of marks as incentive,” Justice Suresh Kumar Kait observed. The judge accordingly allowed the petition.