Tamil Nadu urges Centre for permission to retain super speciality Seats for In-Service Doctors

Chennai: The State Health Minister of Tamil Nadu, Ma Subramanian, has urged the Union Health Minister, J P Nadda, to intervene to ensure that all 50% superspeciality seats earmarked for in-service candidates under the state quota are retained and made available in round 2 of the state-level NEET-SS counselling.

Writing to the Union Health Minister, the Health Minister of Tamil Nadu raised the issue after 145 of the 215 seats reserved for in-service candidates, who had qualified for the in-service reservation in government-run hospitals for a specific number of years, were not taken in round 1 counselling were surrendered to the All India Quota (AIQ) since the Union Government did not give approval or schedule for the State to conduct its second round of counselling.

Referring to this, Minister Subramanian stated that the Government has noted that "the process of surrendering the unfilled in-service seats to the All-India quota is being considered, without conducting the mandatory second round of counselling at the state level."

Therefore, the Minister argued that such a move would effectively deprive the in-service candidates in Tamil Nadu of their rightful opportunity to upgrade or participate in the subsequent round of counselling. According to the Minister, this move would be contrary to the spirit and intent of the Supreme Court order, based on which 50% in-service reservation was implemented in the State.

Also Read: TN Health invites Applications from In-Service Candidates for Super Speciality Courses, Check all admission details here

As per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, the Minister further mentioned that the State received numerous representations from the in-service candidates seeking upgradation of their courses or colleges in round 2 of NEET-SS counselling at the State-level. According to sources, even though a smaller number of in-service quota seats are surrendered to the AIQ, it is done only after the round 2 of the counselling at the state-level was over.

The first round of NEET-SS counselling for the State quota in-service candidates was completed on May 27. Thereafter, on May 29, the selection committee for admissions in Tamil Nadu formally requested the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to indicate the round 2 schedule for the State. However, without permission from the DGHS, the seats were surrendered.

Meanwhile, the State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Associatio (TNMOA) informed that the association has filed an urgent plea on the issue before the Madras High Court. 

The association also wrote to the Tamil Nadu Health Secretary stating that they were deeply concerned and distressed by the urgent decision to surrender the SS seats to the AIQ.

Terming such a premature surrender of seats as unprecedented, the association pointed out that such a move has not been adopted by any other states in India. It further added that the move would affect the prospects of doctors who have dedicated many years by serving in the government hospitals.

There are altogether 412 Super specialty seats in Tamil Nadu. Among these, 215 seats are reserved for the in-service doctors. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that last month, TN Health Department invited online applications from eligible candidates for admission into Super Speciality courses in TN Government Medical Colleges only for in-service candidates for the 2024 session. In this regard, TN Health has released a prospectus detailing the important details such as eligibility criteria, procedure for filling & submission of application, counselling procedure, tuition fee, method of selection, admission, etc.

Last year, TN Health Department had announced that it would henceforth decide regarding the number of seats to be reserved for them on a year-on-year basis. Issuing a G.O. the State Health Department had mentioned that the number of seats reserved in Postgraduate (MD/MS) admissions for the in-service candidates will be decided dynamically on a year-on-year basis.

The Health Department further stated in the order that for the academic year 2024-2025, the service reservation of PG seats for specialities other than General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Anaesthesiology, Chest Medicine, Radiology, Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine will be kept in abeyance for a year.

Also Read: TN Doctors Upset with Health Dept's Decision of Withholding In-Service Quota in Certain Specialties