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| Saturday, Aug 26, 2006
High Court upholds mark incentive scheme
Says it is a "constructive decision"
- Doctors will be awarded at the rate of one mark per year of service, when they apply for super-speciality courses
- The petitioner submitted that selection of candidates must be only on merit
Chennai: The mark incentive scheme extended to Government doctors working in public health centres (PHCs), at the rate of one mark per year of service, when they apply for admission to super-speciality courses has been upheld by the Madras High Court.
A Division Bench comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice S. Manikumar, dismissing a writ petition filed by R. Aravazhi
challenging the scheme, said it was a "constructive decision" which could not be faulted. They said the Government scheme aimed at
motivating doctors by providing weightage to those who came forward to serve in rural areas.
The petitioner, assailing the provision, submitted that selection of candidates for super-speciality courses must be only on merit and that factors irrelevant to merit should not be taken into account.
The Special Government Pleader for Education, however, said there was no reservation for persons working in the PHCs.
He said a maximum of 10 marks was awarded to candidates working in PHCs for as many years "as there was largescale reluctance on the part of doctors to serve in rural areas."
He said it could not be termed discriminatory as doctors working in rural areas could not be equated to those serving in urban areas.
In their order, the judges said sophisticated medical facilities still remained a mirage to rural areas,
and added that one of the reasons ascribed to it was the reluctance on the part of doctors as they were not temperamentally inclined to go and live in rural areas.
Stressing on the social responsibility of those rendering essential services, the Bench said the Government's decision
to award weightage to service candidates could not be faulted "but should be welcomed."
They, however, said the Government must take extraordinary care to see to it that the weightage assigned was reasonable
and worked out on a rational basis.
They also made it clear that had it been a case of reservation they would have viewed the matter differently.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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