CHENNAI: The Union Health Ministry has recently informed the Madras High Court that it has decided to accept the request of the Tamil Nadu government to raise the maximum age for appointment of Senior Resident Doctors in medical colleges from 40 to 45. A section of doctors had petitioned the Madras High Court to raise the age limit.
A division bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad disposed of a petition filed by six doctors seeking to declare Clause 6 of Schedule-I of Minimum Qualification for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998 prescribing the upper age limit of 40 years for appointment to the post of senior resident doctor as discriminatory and illegal.
The court recorded the submissions of Assistant Solicitor-General Karthikeyan that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 12, 2019, decided to raise the maximum age for appointment of senior resident doctors from 40 years to 45 years and a draft notification would be approved and accordingly published within three weeks.
Petitioners, who were government doctors, said at the time of their joining PG course there was no age limit prescribed for the post of senior resident doctor and they were selected for PG degree courses by undergoing the process of selection to become senior resident doctor/assistant professor. On completion of the course, they had crossed the age limit, forcing them to move the HC.