Assam Govt revises upper age limit for doctors in medical colleges to 45 years

Guwahati: The Assam government have increased the upper age limit for government doctors appointed across the state-run medical colleges to 45 years for entry-level posts of senior resident, tutors, demonstrators, registrar, resident surgeon and resident physician.

The Department of Personnel of the Government of Assam released an official memorandum on 4th July 2023, with an aim to fix the issue of faculty shortage at the Medical Colleges of Assam. The government pointed out the issues affecting patient care and academic services at the medical colleges due to the shortage of faculty members.

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The order read, "It is therefore in the interest of fair dealing to the candidates acquiring Post Graduate degrees in Medical Science and in the service of public service concerning patient care, academic quality, incentive to Post Graduate doctors to join Government Services in Medical Colleges, the upper age limit for entering into government services in the entry-level posts of senior resident/ tutors/ demonstrators/ registrar/ resident surgeon/ resident physician at various Medical Colleges of Assam is hereby raised to 45 years irrespective of the category of the applicant."

The order was passed based on the 2022 regulations of the National Medical Commission. It said, "The Teachers Eligibility Qualification in Medical Institutions Regulation, 2022, of the National Medical Commission also stipulates the upper age limit for the post of Senior Resident with Postgraduate Degree of MD/MS/DNS and for the post of tutors with M.Sc. degree in Medical Science (which are equivalent to the posts of Demonstrator, Registrar, Resident Surgeon, Resident Physician, etc., in the State of Assam) as 45 years."

It noted that there shall be no change in the procedure of recruitment or other qualification or service conditions such as year or age of retirement. Further, the posts are also exempted from the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 1978 (As amended).

The memorandum is issued amidst an increasing number of medical colleges coming up in the state, which would affect the ratio of government doctors to medical colleges. The current upper age limit for general candidates, including doctors, for government services in the state is 38 years old with a 5-year exception for candidates from SC/ST communities, reports the Sentinel Assam.

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