Indian medical service cadre still awaiting green signal as Centre continues state consultations
Doctor
New Delhi: The long-pending demand of the medical fraternity for the creation of a national cadre of doctors on the lines of the IAS and IPS is yet to be realised as the matter is still under consideration with the Union Health Ministry, TOI has reported.
The Ministry is still awaiting responses from the States and Union Territories in this regard, as revealed by information obtained through an RTI application.
Over the years, members of the medical fraternity have been urging the Central Government to launch an Indian Medical Service Cadre on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service. Earlier, the Union Government had also expressed its interest in setting up a different cadre to especially cater to the needs of the healthcare sector.
Seven years have passed since the Centre informed the Parliament that it was consulting states on the creation of an All India Medical Service, similar to the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service.
However, the Times of India has reported that in a reply to an RTI application dated May 26, 2026, the Union Health Ministry said that the proposal in this regard is under consideration and the views of the remaining States and Union Territories have been sought before taking up the matter with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Back in December 2018, in response to a Lok Sabha query, the Health Ministry had said that a committee set up for the cadre review of the Central Health Service had examined the need for the creation of an All India Medical Service and recommended seeking states' views before finalising the proposal.
Former MoS Health Mr. Ashwani Kumar Chaubey had informed the Lok Sabha that the comments from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim and Goa, Mizoram, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Andaman and Nicobar Islands had been received till July 2019. While the majority had supported the proposal, the Kerala and Sikkim governments had not supported it. The
Government of Andhra Pradesh had requested to come up with a comprehensive proposal incorporating the best practices in other countries for addressing the manpower needs in the two sectors of health services and medical services.
However, as per the latest RTI reply, the proposal is yet to be realised as the consultation process with the states is still continuing and a final decision on the proposed cadre has not been taken yet.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the long-standing demand for setting up Indian Medical services previously expressed by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), and later the Indian Medical Association.
Moreover, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, headed by Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, in its 126th report on Demands for Grants 2021-22 had also expressed its views in favor of exploring the possibilities of setting up such exclusive Service aiming to bring a major change in the healthcare sector across the country.
Keeping in mind the incredible role of Corona warriors during combating the vicissitude of coronavirus, the Committee in its report dated 08.03.2021 opined that the present moment holds the golden opportunity to explore the possibility of organizing Indian medical services in order to create a specialized task force for implementation of the flagship program relating to health.
Also Read: Parliamentary Committee calls for setting up Separate Indian Medical Services Cadre
