SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN INDIA Vs. DIRECTOR, NATIONAL BOARD OF EXAMINATIONS AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petition has been filed by a society, stated, by learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, to comprise a group of persons possessing degrees of MD in Tropical Medicine. The locus of such a society to maintain such a writ petition may be questionable. However, inasmuch as the case has been argued on merits and the issue in controversy is limited, I am proceeding to decide this writ petition without entering into the said technical issue.

(2.) The claim in the writ petition is limited. All that is sought is that the holders of the degree of Doctorate of Medicine (MD) in the discipline of Tropical Medicine should be treated as eligible to sit in the examination, conducted by the National Board of Examination for conferment of the DNB degree in the disciplines of Clinical Haematology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Endocrinology, and for being conferred the qualification of FNB (Critical Care) pursuant thereto.

(3.) The prayer for the recognition of the qualification of MD (Tropical Medicine) as an eligible qualification for obtaining the qualification of DM (Doctor of Medicine) is founded on the Schedule to the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as the 2000 Regulations ). However, in my opinion, a reading of the said Schedule actually defeats the case of the petitioner.