In a significant relief for medical professionals in West Bengal, the Supreme Court recently modified its previous judgment. The new ruling ensures that those who completed their studies by July 2022 and were working as Senior Residents will retain their postgraduate (PG) degrees as legal and valid.
Background: What Was the Previous Judgment?
Earlier, on October 17, 2022, the Supreme Court had ruled against considering the petitioners' admissions into PG courses (for the 2019-2020 academic year) beyond the cut-off date of May 31, 2019. The court stated that no exception or sympathy could be granted for allowing admissions beyond the prescribed deadline. This decision led to uncertainty for many medical students regarding the validity of their degrees.
In response to the ruling, affected medical professionals filed a review petition before the Supreme Court. The case was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan.
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Revised Judgment: Relief for Those Who Completed Studies by July 2022
After reviewing the case, the Supreme Court ruled:
"The review petitioners who completed their studies in July 2022 and were subsequently appointed as Senior Residents should not be deprived of their degrees. In other words, the degrees awarded to them, despite the court’s judgment dated October 17, 2022, will be treated as legal and valid."
This decision has provided much-needed relief to medical professionals who had already completed their education and were working in hospitals.
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However, the court did not extend this relief to all petitioners. Dr. Priyambada Sharma, who was still pursuing her studies at the time of the judgment on October 17, 2022, was initially not included in this exemption.
Recognizing the unique nature of her case, the Supreme Court allowed her to continue her studies. The court stated:
"Keeping in view the fact that Dr. Priyambada Sharma had already studied for almost three years, we permit her to continue and complete her studies at North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, West Bengal."
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The Supreme Court also held the West Bengal University of Health Sciences and North Bengal Medical College accountable for the administrative failures that led to this litigation. As a result, the court imposed a joint penalty of ₹5 lakh on both institutions.
The amount must be deposited into the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Government of West Bengal, within four weeks of receiving the order.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s revised judgment has provided a major relief to medical professionals whose careers were at risk due to the previous ruling. By recognizing the degrees of those who had completed their studies, the court has safeguarded their future while also holding the concerned institutions accountable for their lapses.
