Cuttack, July 24: Orissa High Court today invalidated the state government’s notification reducing eligibility of in-service doctors from five years to three years for admission to postgraduate (medical) courses in the three state-run colleges.

The court directed the PG (medical) selection committee-2013 to only consider candidates with five years service who have cleared the entrance test for the in-service quota.

Of the 343 seats for postgraduate courses in the three state-run medical colleges, 87 are earmarked for in-service candidates and 86 for direct candidates under the state quota.

The rest are for the all-India quota.

On May 27, the state health and family welfare department had issued a notification for allotment of candidates for postgraduate (medical) courses in the government medical colleges and reduced eligibility of in-service doctors from five years to three years.

A batch of eight petitions filed by in-service doctors with five years of service had sought quashing of the notification.

Allowing the petitions, the division bench of Chief Justice C. Nagappan and Justice Indrajit Mahanty today observed: “The May 27, 2013 notification shall not be applicable for in-service candidates.”

“Candidates with five-year service shall only be allowed,” the bench observed in its ruling while directing the PG (medical) selection committee-2013 to complete the admission process by July 31.

The state government had submitted that the eligibility of in-service doctors for postgraduate (medical) course had been reduced from five to three years as eligible in-service doctors with minimum five years experience were not sufficiently available.

The court, however, endorsed the contention of the petitioners that “making candidates with three-year service eligible for the first time after results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-PG) -2013 on May 16, 2013 were published would adversely affect petitioners who have completed more than five years of service”.

The court also endorsed the contention of the petitioners that the NEET-PG- 2013 was conducted according to the prevailing guidelines.