Allahabad HC Rejects Recruitment Plea, says Physiotherapy Degree Not Equivalent to MBBS

Ruling that a degree in Physiotherapy cannot be treated as equivalent to a 'degree in medicine' (MBBS) under the applicable service rules, the Allahabad High Court bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar recently upheld the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission's (UPPSC) decision to bar a candidate holding a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy from appearing in an interview for the post of Food Safety Officer.

As per the eligibility criteria laid out in the U.P. Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Cadre) Service Rules, 2012, a "degree in medicine" is one of the qualifications for the post.

Filing the plea, the petitioner had challenged the Commission's rejection of her candidature for the Food Safety Officer post despite having cleared the written examination.

The petitioner graduated in Physiotherapy from Integral University, Lucknow. She argued that her qualification fell within the broader ambit of medicine. Her counsel argued that the University Grants Commission (UGC), in a 2014 notification, had recognised Physiotherapy under "Health and Allied Sciences" category. Further, the petitioner argued that her curriculum included subjects like surgery, neurology, orthopaedics, and rehabilitation, qualifying it as modern scientific medicine.