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directs NMC to include MD Geriatric Medicine as DM
Court orders National Medical Commission to reconsider exclusion of Geriatric Medicine from DM super-specialty eligibility, calling infrastructure concerns insufficient grounds to block .
The has directed the to include MD in Geriatric Medicine as an eligible for admission to DM through the NEET-SS and INI-SS examinations. Justice Jasmeet Singh, presiding over a filed by doctors holding postgraduate degrees in Geriatric Medicine, ruled that the reasons cited by authorities for excluding the discipline were not sufficient to deny these candidates the opportunity to advance their careers.
A Battle for Professional Growth
The petitioners—Kartik Mittal and other doctors—challenged their exclusion from the list of broad specialties eligible for DM specializations. Despite multiple representations since , including letters from the and the , the NMC and had maintained that MD Geriatric Medicine could not serve as a . The doctors argued that this exclusion effectively shut them out from pursuing in medicine-related fields.
“The respondent No. 2/ called for comments from various heads of departments and they were of the opinion that it would be impermissible to allow individuals with MD (Geriatric Medicine) to be considered to apply for DM Endocrinology Entrance Examination,” the court noted.
The NMC’s Reasoning: Flawed and Outdated?
In its , the NMC defended the exclusion on grounds of insufficient physical infrastructure, teaching staff, clinical material, and hospitals for Geriatric Medicine. However, the court observed that “no other reason is decipherable from the counter affidavit of the respondent No. 1.” Additionally, the documents relied upon by were from —more than seven years old.
The court expressed concern that the authorities’ own assessment suggested Geriatric Medicine “is not developed well enough to cater to the population they are supposed to look after, i.e., patients above the age of 60 years.”
Court’s Order: A Win for Geriatric Specialists
Justice Jasmeet Singh unequivocally rejected the NMC’s stance, stating: “I am of the view that the said reasons are not sufficient to deny candidates holding MDs of Geriatric Medicine to enhance their career and participate in DM Super Specialty Courses.”
The judge further emphasized that if the number of geriatric specialists is inadequate, the remedy is to increase seats and doctors—not to block existing practitioners from advancing. “The inadequacy in the number of doctors in the field cannot, however, be a ground to deny doctors holding an MD in Geriatric Medicine the opportunity to pursue DM Super Specialty Courses and thereby advance their professional and career prospects.”
The court directed the NMC to “have a re-look and to include MD (Geriatric Medicine) as eligible for DM specializations” and to complete the needful expeditiously. The petition was disposed of with these directions, marking a significant step for geriatric medicine specialists seeking to broaden their expertise and serve an aging population more effectively.
