Supreme Court Orders Review of Rural Service Requirement for MBBS Graduates

Supreme Court's Directive on Rural Service for Doctors

New Delhi: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court instructed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to investigate the requirement for doctors to serve in rural areas after they finish their MBBS degree.

The directive came from a bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, during the hearing of a petition concerning this mandatory rural service.

The court stated, "We direct the National Medical Commission to look into the issue of compulsory rural service for MBBS graduates."

The case is scheduled for further discussion on December 8.

In May 2024, the Supreme Court had agreed to consider a petition from MBBS students graduating from private seats at a deemed university in Karnataka.

These students are requesting that the Health and Family Welfare Services Commissionerate of Karnataka issue them a no objection certificate without requiring them to sign an affidavit for compulsory rural service.

The petitioners highlighted that the Karnataka government had implemented the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act in 2012, followed by the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Course Rules in 2015.

According to the petition, these regulations stipulate that all MBBS graduates, as well as post-graduates and super specialty candidates who studied in government universities or on government seats in private or deemed universities, must complete one year of mandatory public rural service before they can register permanently with the Karnataka Medical Council.

The petition also referenced a notification from July 28, 2023, which included candidates enrolled in private seats at private or deemed universities.