Govt doctors stage black badge protest against Telangana Medical Council expansion

Hyderabad: Demanding the immediate withdrawal of the recent government order that nominated four ex officio members to the Telangana Medical Council, government doctors across several medical associations held a statewide black badge protest at all government medical colleges on Wednesday. The doctors also announced that they will continue their peaceful protest from January 7.

The protest is being held in opposition to the recently issued GO 229. Doctors clarified that patient care will not be affected in any way, as they will continue their regular duties while wearing black badges to mark their protest.

The medical fraternity in Telangana has expressed strong anger and disappointment over the inclusion of non-doctors and bureaucrats in the council, which, according to them, compromises the autonomy, independence, and representative nature of the council and goes against established judicial principles that safeguard the functioning of autonomous professional regulatory bodies.

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The protest has been called by the Medical Joint Action Committee (JAC), which includes the Indian Medical Association (IMA)–Telangana State, Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association, Telangana Junior Doctors Association, Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association and Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association.

The Medical JAC described the protest as symbolic and stated that it reflects the medical fraternity’s deep anguish and concern, while reaffirming its unwavering commitment to patient welfare and public health. The committee warned that if the state government fails to respond positively and withdraw the order, the protest will be intensified in a phased, democratic and statewide manner, without affecting patient services.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that doctors across Telangana are opposing the government order that expanded the Telangana Medical Council by adding four ex officio members, increasing its total strength from 25 to 29.

The G.O. 229, issued by the Telangana Health Department, under the Government of Telangana on 22.12.2025, nominated the following Officers as 'ex officio' Members of the Telangana Medical Council, with immediate effect:

1) Commissioner of Health & Family Welfare, Telangana, 2) Director of Medical Education, Telangana, 3) Director of Health and Family Welfare, Telangana, 4) Commissioner, Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Panshad, Telangana, 5) Vice-Chancellor, Dr.KNR University of Health Sciences, Telangana, 6) Chief Executive Officer, Arogyasn Health Care Trust, Telangana, 7) Special/ Additional Secretary/ Joint Secretary/ Deputy Secretary to Government, HM&FW Department dealing with the subject and; 8) Director NIMS, Hyderabad.

Before this, the 25-member Telangana medical council included 13 elected representatives (the HRDA members won all of the posts), six government nominees, two members from Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), and four ex-officio government officials- the director of medical education (DME), director of public health (DoPH), TVVP commissioner, and the KNRUHS vice-chancellor.

With the new order, the State has now added four more ex officio members to the council. However, the move has received severe criticism and opposition from the doctors across the State as doctors' organisations, including the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), the Telangana branch of the Indian Medical Association, Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (TSRDA), Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA), Telangana Teaching Doctors Association (TTGDA), All India Dental Students and Surgeons Association (AIDSA) and Telangana Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association.

Pointing out that most of the newly added members are non-doctors and bureaucrats, the doctors have questioned the need for increasing the non-medical representation in the medical council, which regulates the medical education and professional standards of medical professionals.

To spread awareness about the order, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) on Tuesday conducted a detailed orientation with medical students from all the govt colleges across the state. The outreach programs aimed to make MBBS and PG doctors aware of why the fraternity of doctors was against the Government Order.

Speaking to Telangana Today, the Medical JAC said, "This movement is not against the State government but in defence of autonomous medical regulation, ethical governance and the long-term interests of public health in Telangana."

The medical JAC urged the State government to immediately withdraw GO 229, uphold the High Court’s emphasis on maintaining elected members in decisive majority, and protect the autonomy of medical practice and patient safety.