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Why 20 Punjab doctors moved high court over medical officer recruitment rejection
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AmritsarUpdated: Jul 18, 2026 06:25 PM IST A group of 20 doctors recently approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court after being denied government jobs due to an alleged clerical delay by the Government Medical College, Amritsar. The dispute stems from an April 2025 recruitment drive for 1,000 medical officer (general) positions launched by the Punjab Department of Health and Family Welfare, wherein selection was based on the merit of a written examination conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.The 20 petitioners cleared the examination. However, when the final selection list was released on September 1, 2025, only 322 candidates were granted joining letters, leaving the petitioners excluded while individuals with lower merit scores were selected over them. The reason for their exclusion was a technical delay in getting registered with the Punjab Medical Council (PMC), which was allegedly caused by clerical backlogs at Government Medical College, Amritsar. The petitioner doctors have argued that they had completed all their mandatory clinical requirements, including their year-long internships and ACLS/BLS training, by mid-April 2025 – well before the recruitment deadline. They added that the subsequent weeks-long delay in physically printing and issuing the Internship Completion Certificates (ICC) and PMC paperwork was an alleged internal administrative failure of the medical college. These petitioners got their PMC registration on July 1, 2025, after the deadline for it fixed by the state had expired on June 22, 2025. The petition argues that the alleged institutional fault of the respondents cannot be fastened onto the candidates, making their disqualification a violation of their Right to Equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.Story continues below this ad Also, it mentions that the health department had previously published a ‘deficiency list’ on August 26, 2025, to warn candidates with missing paperwork, yet the petitioners’ names were not on it. When contacted, Rajiv Devgan, Director Principal, Government Medical College (GMC), Amritsar, claimed that he didn’t have information about the issue. “We will verify and try to solve it,” he added. Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts. Core Beats & Specializations Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions. National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups. Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies: 1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht "Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015. "YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies. "As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications. 2. Crime & National Security "Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit l
VadodaraUpdated: Jul 18, 2026 09:57 AM IST Sai's counsel submitted that he was last granted temporary bail in September 2025 and is presently undergoing treatment for a spinal ailment.(File Photo)The Gujarat High Court on Friday sought a report on Narayan Sai’s medical condition after the self-styled godman sought temporary bail to undergo naturopathy and panchkarma treatment, claiming his spinal ailment and weight-related issues could not be adequately treated in jail. Sai is serving a life sentence following his 2019 conviction in a rape case. A division bench of Justice Gita Gopi and Justice LS Pirzada directed the prison authorities to apprise the court of Sai’s current medical condition before considering his request for interim relief.“Let the report of the medical officer of Jail Authority be called for, to apprise the court of the medical condition of the applicant,” the court stated in an oral order while posting the matter for further hearing on July 27. Sai’s counsel submitted that he was last granted temporary bail in September 2025 and is presently undergoing treatment for a spinal ailment. The advocate submitted that owing to his weight and related health complications, he was unable to receive adequate treatment within the prison. The counsel stated that while an ayurvedic doctor is treating him in the prison, the naturopathy and panchkarma treatment is unavailable in jail as well as civil hospitals. The counsel requested the court to call for an independent assessment from jail medical authorities before deciding the plea. Sai, who has been lodged in prison since December 2013, is serving a life sentence awarded by a Surat sessions court on April 30, 2019. He was convicted under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including repeated rape, rape by a person in a position of trust, unnatural offences, outraging the modesty of a woman, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation. The latest application comes barely two months after another bench of the High Court rejected Sai’s plea for suspension of sentence, holding that he could not seek release on the ground of prolonged incarceration when he had himself delayed the hearing of his appeal against conviction. The court had observed that although Sai had spent more than 11 years in custody, the record showed that since 2019 he had repeatedly sought temporary or regular bail instead of pursuing the final hearing of his criminal appeal.Story continues below this ad The court had noted that even when it expressed readiness to hear the appeal on a day-to-day basis, Sai’s counsel stated that she had instructions only to argue the suspension of sentence application. The judges concluded that the convict had “created a situation for his long incarceration” by failing to cooperate in the expeditious disposal of his appeal and, therefore, could not invoke delay in the appellate proceedings as a ground for bail. Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Uni
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