There is no place for reservation in super-speciality medical courses. This opinion of the SC has been aired a number of times since 1984 when a cause célèbre was heard. It was observed that in national interest no reservation should be allowed on the basis of caste, religion, residence or any other criteria so that the quality of medical services will improve. States have defied this in order to perpetuate vote-bank politics. The SC has been unable to do anything about it in AP and Telangana, which support domiciled students by reserving 85 per cent of seats in super-speciality medical courses like DM and M.Ch, since a Presidential order allows it. The case of TN, which can claim no such exemption but where too reservation for the domiciled exists, will be taken up this week.
Apart from the regular objections, what is being spoken of here is the national interest and whether it will be served if such discrimination exists in favour of students who are domiciled in certain states and who are free to compete for such seats elsewhere in India while their counterparts are denied the opportunity. The greater worry, of course, is that pursuits in areas of medicine can be endangered by admitting lesser qualified students as such doctors are likely to be the final authority on matters of life and death. There is no arguing that merit should be the only criterion. The nation must at least move on from any discrimination at the level of super-specialities.
