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2003 Supreme(MP) 842
2004(2) JLJ 344
(SUPREME COURT)
R.C. Lahoti and Ashok Bhan, JJ.
State of M.P. and others v. Gopal D. Tirthani and others
Civil Appeals No. 5223-26 of 2003; against the order of M.P. High Court passed in WP No. 1933 of 2003;
Decided on 28.7.2003.
A.K. Chitale, Vivek Tankha, Advocate General, W.A. Nomani, Satish K. Agnihotri, P.N. Puri, Atul Nanda, B.S. Banthi, Naveen Sharma, Niraj Sharma, Sakesh Kumar, Dr. K.S. Chauhan, etc. for appearing parties.
Headnote:(1) Education -- Pre-Postgraduation Examination -- Regulations framed by Medical Council of India -- Reg. 9(1) and (2) -- selection of postgraduate students -- no separate test of entrance has been contemplated for in-service and other general candidates -- recourse to clause (iii) of Reg. 9(1) can be had only when there is only one University in the State.
Whether it is permissible to hold and conduct separate entrance examinations for in-service and open category candidates, or should there be only one common entrance test? [Para 18
Held: Clearly, the State of Madhya Pradesh was not justified in holding and conducting a separate entrance test for in-service candidates. Nor could it have devised a formula by combining clauses (i) and (iii) of regulation 9(1) by resorting to clause (iv). Recourse can be had to clause (iii) when there is only one university. When there is only one university in one State, the standard of assessment can reasonably be assumed to have been the same for assessing the academic merit of the students passing from that university. When there are more universities than one in a State, the standards of different universities and their assessment methods cannot obviously be uniform and may differ. Then it would be futile to assess the comparative merit of individual performances by reference to clause (iii). The High Court is, therefore, right in forming an opinion that in the State of Madhya Pradesh, where five universities exist, the method of evaluation contemplated by clause (iii) is not available either in substitution of or in addition to clause (i). The candidates qualified at the Pre-PG or PG entrance test held in common for in-service and open category candidates, would then be- divided into two separate merit lists to be prepared for the two categories and merit inter se of the successful candidates shall be available to be assessed separately in the two respective categories. (2001) 8 SCC 664 relied on. Order of High Court affirmed. [Paras 27 & 28
(2) Education -- M.P. Medical and Dental Postgraduate Entrance Examination Rules, 2002 -- R. 8.6.1 -- M.P. Medical and Dental Postgraduate Entrance Examination Rules, 2003 -- R. 8.5 -- quota of 20% for ill-service candidates -- is not reservation but a channel of entry -- such allocation is permissible -- it is also for bettennent of society.
There is nothing wrong in the State Government setting apart a definite percentage of educational seats at postgraduation level consisting of degree and diploma courses exclusively for the in-service candidates. To the extent of the seats so set apart, there is a separate and exclusive source of entry or channel for admission. It is not reservation. In-service candidates, and the candidates not in the service of the State Government, are two classes based on an intelligible differentia. (2001) 2 SCC 538 and (2002) 1 SCC 428 relied on. [Paras 20 & 21
(3) Constitution of India -- Art. 14 -- weightage to in-service candidates in rural area and relaxation to women candidates for Pre-Postgraduate examination -- is valid.
The next question is -- whether weightage can be given to doctors for their having rendered the specified number of years of service in rural/tribal areas. [Para 29
Held: In the set-up of health services in the State of Madhya Pradesh and the geographical distribution of population, no fault can be found with the principle of assigning weightage to the service rendered in rural/tribal areas while finalizing the merit list of successful in-service candidates for admission to PO courses of studies. [Para 33
Womenfolk in rural areas have reluctance in being dealt with by male doctors and they feel more comfortable with female doctors. The purpose of providing relaxation in eligibility criterion in favour of female doctors is not unreasonable and has nexus with the object sought to be achieved. With this rule too we cannot find any fault and it certainly does not suffer from any constitutional anathema.
Both the rules, i.e., assigning weightage to rural service rendered as Assistant Surgeons and carving out a classification in favour of women candidates conferring them with eligibility for seeking admission in postgraduate courses by rendering 3 years‘ consecutive service in rural areas, satisfy the twin tests of Article 14 of the Constitutions. (1986) 3 SCC 727, (1992) 20 ATC 187, (2000) 1 SCC 44 and (1975) 1 SCC 267 discussed. [Paras 34 & 35
(4) Education -- M.P. Medical and Dental Post-Graduate Entrance Examination Rules, 2002 -- R. 1.0 -- M.P. Medical and Dental Post-graduate Admission (In-service) Rules, 2002 -- provisions under two rules --are not statutory -- they have the effect of instructions or guidelines issued under executive powers of the State Government. [Para 10
(5) Chikitsa Shiksha Samstha Niyantran Adhiniyam, 1973 (M.P.) -- S. 10 -- M.P. Medical and Dental Postgraduate Entrance Examination Rules, 2003 -- Rules not statutory because not framed under S. 10 of the Act -- still have effect of executive instructions -- Rules of 2002 are repealed by necessary implication. [Para 13
(6) Constitution of India -- Art. 14 -- reasonable classification must satisfy twin tests: (i) must be founded on intelligible differentia, (ii) differentia must have rational relation with object sought to be achieved. [Para 21
(7) Education -- Pre-Postgraduation Examination -- minimum prescribed by Medical Council of India -- cannot be departed from -State rules to the contrary -- to be ignored. (1999) 7 SCC 120, (1994) 4 SCC 401, (1981) 4 SCC 296, (1997) 6 SCC 283, (1997) 3 SCC 90, (2001) 8 SCC 694 and (2001) 8 SCC 664 relied on. [Paras 23 to 25
¼1½ f‘k{kk&iwoZL=krdksÙkj ijh{kk&Hkkjrh vk;qfoZKku ifj"kn }kjk fojfpr fofu;e&fofu- 9¼1½ rFkk 9¼2½&L=krdksrj Nk=ksa dk p;u&lsokjr rFkk lk/kkj.k vU; vH;fFkZ;ksa ds fy, i`Fkd ços‘k ijh{kk vuq/;kr ugha&fofu-9¼1½ ds [kaM (iii) dk vkJ; rc gh fy;k tk ldrk gS tc jkT; esa dsoy ,d fo‘ofo|ky; gksA
D;k lsokjr vkSj [kqys çoxZ ds vH;fFkZ;ksa ds fy, i`Fkd&i`Fkd ços‘k ijh{kk djkuk rFkk vk;ksftr djuk vuqKs; gS vFkok dsoy ,d lkekU; ços‘k ijh{kk gksuk pkfg,\ ¿iSjk 18
vfHkfu/kkZfjr % Li"Vr% e/; çns‘k jkT; }kjk lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa ds fy, i`Fkd~ ços‘k ijh{kk lapkfyr dh tkuk U;k;ksfpr ugha FkkA u mlds }kjk [kaM (iv) dk vkJ; ys dj fofu;e 9¼1½ ds [kaM (i) rFkk (iii) la;qDr dj lw= gh fudkyk tk ldrk FkkA [kaM (iii) dk vkJ; rc fy;k tk ldrk gS tc dsoy ,d fo‘ofo|ky; gksA tc ,d jkT; esa dsoy ,d fo‘ofo|ky; gks rc ml fo‘ofo|ky; ls mÙkh.kZ gksus okys Nk=ksaa dh vdknfed çkoh.; fu/kkZfjr djus ds fy, fu/kkZj.k dk ekud ,d gh gksus dh /kkj.kk dh tk ldrh gSA tc jkT; esa ,d ls vf/kd fo‘ofo|ky; gksa rc fofHkUu fo‘ofo|ky;ksa ds ekud rFkk muds fu/kkZj.k ds <ax lqLi"Vr% leku ugha gks ldrs rFkk muesa fHkUurk gks ldrh gSA rc [kaM (iii) vkns‘k ds funsZ‘k }kjk oS;fDrd çn‘kZu dh rqyukRed çkoh.; dk fu/kkZj.k O;FkZ gksxkA vr% mPp U;k;ky; }kjk ;g jk; cukbZ tkuk lgh gS fd e/; çns‘k jkT; esa] tgk¡ ik¡p fo‘ofo|ky; gaS( [kaM (iii) }kjk vuq/;kr ewY;kadu dk <ax] [kaM (i) dh çfrLFkkiuk esa ;k mlds vfrfjDr] miyC/k ugha gSSA lsokjr rFkk [kqys çoxZ ds vH;fFkZ;ksa }kjk vk;ksftr lkekU; iwoZ&L=krdksÙkj ;k L=krdksÙkj ços‘k ijh{kk esa vgZ vH;FkhZ fQj oxks± ds fy, rS;kj dh xbZ nks i`Fkd~ çkoh.; lwfp;ksa esa foHkDr fd, tk,¡xs rFkk lQy vH;fFkZ;ksa dk ,d&nwljs ds eqdkcys esa çoh.krk nksuksa oxks± esa i`Fkd~ fu/kkZj.k ds fy, miyC/k gksxkA ¼2001½ 8 ,l lh lh 664 voyafcrA mPp U;k;ky; dk vkns‘k vfHkiq"VA ¿iSjk 27 ,oa 28
¼2½ f‘k{kk&e-ç- fpfdRlk rFkk naÙk fpfdRlk L=krdksÙkj ços‘k lhek] 2002&fu-8-6-1&e-ç- fpfdRlk rFkk naÙk fpfdRlk L=krdksÙkj ços‘k ijh{kk fu;e] 2003&fu-8-5-&lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa ds fy, 20 izfr‘kr dksVk&vkj{k.k ugha vfirq ços‘k dk ekxZ gSa&,slk vkcaVu vuqKs; gS&;g lekt dh csgrjh ds fy, Hkh gSA
jkT; ljdkj }kjk lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa ds fy, vuU; :i ls fMxzh rFkk fMIyksek ikB;Øe ds L=krdksÙkj Lrj ij ‘kSf{kd LFkkuksa dk fuf‘pr çfr‘kr i`Fkd&i`Fkd fd;k tkuk fcYdqy xyr ugha gSA bl çdkj i`Fkd fd, x, LFkkuksa dh lhek rd ços‘k ds fy, i`Fkd vkSj vuU; ços‘k L=ksr ;k ekxZ gSA ;g vkj{k.k ugha gSA lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa rFkk mu vH;fFkZ;ksa ds] tks jkT; ljdkj dh lsok esa ugha gSa] cks/kxE; oSf‘k"V; ij vk/kkfjr nks oxZ gSA ¼2001½ 2 ,l lh lh 538 rFkk ¼2002½ 1 ,l lh lh 428 voyafcrA ¿iSjk 20 ,oa 21
¼3½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku&vuq-14&xzkeh.k {ks= esa lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa dks rFkk L=h vH;fFkZ;ksa dks iwoZ&L=krdksÙkj ijh{kk ds fy, vf/keku fn;k tkuk&fof/kekU; gSaA
vxyk ç‘u gS&Dk fpfdRldksa dks xzkeh.k@tutkfr {ks=ksa esa fofufnZ"V o"kks± rd lsok djus ds fy, vf/keku fn;k tk ldrk gS\ ¿iSjk 29
vfHkfu/kkZfjr % e/;çns‘k jkT; esa LokLF; lsok ds laxBu rFkk tula[;k ds HkkSxksfyd forj.k ds lanHkZ esa] v/;;u ds L=krdksÙkj ikB~;Øeksa esa ços‘k ds fy, lQy lsokjr vH;fFkZ;ksa dh çkoh.; lwph dks vafre :i nsrs le; xzkeh.k@tutkfr {ks=ksa esa dh xbZ lsok ds fy, vf/keku nsus ds fl)kar esa =qfV ugha fudkyh tk ldrhA ¿iSjk 33
xzkeh.k {ks=ksa esa efgykvksa dks iq#"k fpfdRldksa ls mipkj djokus esa ladksp gksrk gS rFkk og L=h fpfdRldksa ds lkFk vf/kd fuf‘par vuqHko djrh gSaA L=h fpfdRldksa ds i{k esa ik=rk ekunaM esa ‘kSfFkY; dk ç;kstu v;qfDr;qDr ugha gSa rFkk ftl mn~ns‘; dh çkfIr bZfIlr gS mlls laca) gSA bl fu;e esa Hkh ge =qfV ugha fudky ldrs rFkk fuf‘pr :i ls ;g fdlh Hkh lkafo/kkfud vfHk‘kki ls xzLr ugha gSA
nksuksa fu;e vFkkZr~ lgk;d ‘kY;fpfdRldksa ds :i esa dh xbZ xzkeh.k lsok dks vf/keku fn;k tkuk rFkk L=h vH;fFkZ;ksa dks xzkeh.k {ks=ksa esa 3 o"kZ dh fujarj lsok ds fy, mUgsa L=krdksÙkj ikB~;Øeksa esa ços‘k dh bZIlk djus ds fy, ik=rk çnÙk dj muds i{k esa oxhZÑr xfBr fd;k tkuk] lafo/kku ds vuqPNsn 14 dh ;qxy dlkSVh ij [kjs mrjrsa gSaA ¼1986½ 3 ,l lh 727] ¼1992½ 20 , Vh lh 187] ¼2000½ 1 ,l lh lh 44 rFkk ¼1975½ 1 ,l lh lh 267 foosfprA ¿iSjk 34 ,oa 35
¼4½ f‘k{kk&e-ç- fpfdRlk rFkk naÙk fpfdRlk L=krdksÙkj ços‘k ijh{kk fu;e] 2002&fu-1-0&e-ç- fpfdRlk rFkk naÙk fpfdRlk L=krdksÙkj ços‘k ¼lsokjr½ fu;e] 2002&nksuksa fu;eksa ds v/khu mica/k&dkuwuh ugha gSa&mudk çHkko jkT; ljdkj dh dk;Zikyd ‘kfDr ds v/khu tkjh fd, x, vuqns‘kksa vFkok ekxZn‘kZu dk gSA ¿iSjk 10
¼5½ fpfdRlk f‘k{kk laLFkk fu;a=.k vf/kfu;e] 1973 ¼e-ç-½&/kkjk 10&e-ç- fpfdRlk rFkk naÙk fpfdRlk L=krdksÙkj ços‘k ijh{kk fu;e] 2003&vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 10 ds v/khu fojfpr ugha gksus ds dkj.k fu;e dkuwuh ugha&fQj Hkh dk;Zikyd vuqns‘kksa dk çHkko j[krs gSa&lu~ 2002 ds fu;e vko‘;d foo{kk }kjk fujflr gks x, gSaA ¿iSjk 13
¼6½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku&vuq-14&;qfDr;qDr oxhZdj.k ;qxy dlkSVh ij [kjk mrjuk pkfg,( ¼i½ cks/kxE; oSf‘k"V~; ij vk/kkfjr gksuk pkfg,] ¼ii½ oSf‘k"V~; dk ml mn~ns‘; ls] ftls çkIr djuk bZfIlr gS] rdZlaxr laca/k gksuk pkfg,A ¿iSjk 21
¼7½ f‘k{kk&iwoZ&L=krdksÙkj ijh{kk&Hkkjrh vk;qfoZKku ifj"kn }kjk fofgr U;wure&mlls fopyu ugha fd;k tk ldrk&jkT ds rRçfrdwy fu;e&mis{kk dh tk,xhA ¼1999½ 7 ,l lh lh 120] ¼1994½ 4 ,l lh lh 401] ¼1981½ 4 ,l lh lh 296] ¼1997½ 6 ,l lh lh 283] ¼1997½ 3 ,l lh lh 90] ¼2001½ 8 ,l lh lh 694 rFkk ¼2001½ 8 ,l lh lh 664 voyafcrA ¿iSjk 23 ls 25
Lahoti, J. -- 1. Leave granted in all the special leave petitions.
2. Imparting instruction and giving education was philanthropy -a pious duty -- in the past, and later a service. In recent times it has developed into a business and now it stands recognized as an industry. A sizeable amount of litigation centres around medical education. The national wealth of available seats -is scarce while the aspirants, desirous of sharing such wealth, are numerous. Every attempt at laying down criteria for choosing the more deserving out of the several aspirants is subjected to challenge before the constitutional Courts of the country. This time it is the State of Madhya Pradesh which is at the receiving end and the issue is quota of seats for in-service candidates. Carving out a quota for in-service candidates by the State Government, assigning weightage to rural service, sub-classification within classification for women candidates who have rendered rural service, and holding of a separate eligibility test for determining the merit of in-service candidates as distinguished from open category candidates, are the issues canvassed before the High Court and reiterated before this Court by the parties, especially the State of Madhya Pradesh. For the purpose of this judgment it is not necessary for us to enumerate the facts of each individual petition as there were many before the High Court. It would suffice to note the bones of contention in the backdrop of a few bare essential events in their chronological order.
3. In the State of Madhya Pradesh, as it exists today subsequent to the reorganization effected on 1.11.2000 leading to carving out of the State of Chhattisgarh, there are five universities imparting medical education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels of studies. There are 620 undergraduate seats while the seats at postgraduate level of studies are 537, consisting of degree' and diploma courses both. A quota of 89 seats is earmarked for in-service candidates, i.e., the doctors in the employment of the State Government.
4. Madhya Pradesh, a State with a large landspread, still lives in villages. The number of inhabited villages is 51,806 divided into 313 blocks for the purpose of health services administration. There are 8835 sub-health centres which are the smallest rural units of public health service covering a population of 3000 in tribal areas and 5000 in general or non-tribal areas. At each sub-health centre, an ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife) and a multi-purpose male health worker are posted. There are 1194 primary health centres which are rural health units providing curative medical care and preventive health care covering a population of around 50,000 of which 20,000 is tribal. One MBBS medical officer with paramedics is posted at PHCs. There are 229 community health centres situated at blockltehsil headquarters. Ideally, postgraduate medical officers in Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Medicine and specialized in Paediatrics under overall supervision of a block medical officer nedd to be posted at each of such community health centres (CHCs). Then there are 169 first-referral units (FRUs) which are community health centres equipped with newborn-care equipment, surgical equipment for emergency obstetric care and care of high-risk neonates. Postgraduate medical officers specially having qualified in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesia and Paediatrics are required to be posted at such first-referral units so as to prevent mother and infant casualties. The total sanctioned posts in the cadre of medical officers called Assistant Surgeons, which includes Physicians as well, are 4670 against which only 3865 posts are presently occupied. The occupants include those medical officers who are recruited as a temporary measure on contract basis for a short term. 805 posts are lying vacant. As to the posts which require PG degree/diploma, the position is as under:
Cadre Strength Posted Vacant
Class
