Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
For Shailja Pandey, becoming a doctor did not end when she completed her MBBS in 2013. Her degree remained out of reach for the next 13 years after her admission was cancelled over a domicile dispute.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has now cleared the way for her to receive her marksheet and degree, allowing her to move towards a medical career that had remained stalled for more than a decade.
advertisement
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal treated her petition as a special case and set aside the June 13, 2013 order cancelling her admission.
The court directed Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, to issue Pandey’s marksheet and degree.
ADMISSION WAS CANCELLED AFTER SHE HAD ALREADY STUDIED
Pandey told the court that she had secured admission after submitting a domicile certificate issued by the competent authority. However, the college raised an objection over her domicile while she was midway through the MBBS course.
The High Court noted that Pandey had fairly disclosed the facts about her residence in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the court, the issuing authority should have examined whether she had studied for at least three years at an educational institution in Madhya Pradesh. Instead, that requirement was treated as the main condition while issuing her domicile certificate.
The court said Pandey could not be blamed for the authority’s action.
It also questioned why the issue was acted upon after she had completed her medical education rather than at the time of admission.
DEGREE CLEARS ONE HURDLE, PRACTICE NEEDS ANOTHER
The court observed that obtaining the degree would establish Pandey’s qualifications as a doctor and allow her to pursue medical practice, subject to the required registration.
However, the 13-year gap has created another question: whether she is currently fit to practise medicine.
Pandey could not practise during this period because she did not have her degree or registration with the medical regulator.
The High Court has therefore directed the National Medical Commission to examine whether she is fit to practise under the applicable regulations.
If necessary, the commission can ask the medical university to conduct a special examination or test to assess her fitness and eligibility.
The authorities have been directed to complete this exercise within three months.
The court stressed that while Pandey completed her studies in 2013, more than 13 years have now passed before she could secure the degree that formally establishes her medical qualification.
(With PTI inputs)
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
