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PETITIONER: MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA & ANR.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: THE STATE OF RAJASTHAN & ANR.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       15/01/1996

BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. G.B. PATTANAIK (J)

CITATION:  1996 AIR 2073            JT 1996 (1)   634  1996 SCALE  (1)634

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      Leave granted.      We have  heard learned  counsel  for  the  appellant  - Medical Council  of India as well as learned counsel for the first respondent.  The second  respondent has  been avoiding service of  notice and, therefore, we had passed an order on January 8,  1996 that the notice must be deemed to have been served on  him. The  only question  is: whether  the  second respondent is  entitled to  practise  as  registered medical practitioner? Admittedly, the second respondent has done his M.Sc. (Medical Bio-Chemistry). He joined as Demonstrator and thereafter  became  Professor  in  the  Department  of  Bio- Chemistry.  He,   on  31.7.73,   sought  to  have  his  name registered with  the State Medical Register. When he was not allowed  to   practise  Medicine   on  the   basis  of   the above qualifications,  he   filed  a  writ  petition  in the High Court. The learned single Judge in Civil W.P.No.1169/81 by an order dated February 3, 1992 allowed the writ petition and  directed   the  appellant  to  enroll  him  as  Medical Practitioner on  the State Medical Register. An appeal filed against the  said order  in Special  appeal No.179/1995  was dismissed  vide  order  dated  February  15,  1995   by  the Division Bench  of the  High Court.  Thus,  this  appeal  by special leave.      Section 2  (f) of  the Indian Medical Counci1 Act, 1956 (for short,  ’the  Act’)  defines "Medicine"   means  modern scientific medicine in all its branches and includes surgery and obstetrics, but does not include veterinary medicine and surgery.   Section    2(h)   defines   "Recognised   Medical Qualification" to  mean any  of the  medical  qualifications included in  the Schedule  and Section  2(d) defines "Indian Medical Register" to mean medical register maintained by the Council.  Though   M.Sc.  (Bio-Chemistry)   is  included  in the Schedule, but unless the second respondent has qualified himself in  Medicine, he is not eligible to be registered as

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Medical practitioner.  Section l5(1)  of the  Act says  that subject to  the other  provisions contained  in this Act the medical qualifications  included in  the Schedule  shall  be sufficient  qualification   for  enrolment   on  any   State Medical Register. Section 26 postulates thus:           "26    Registration         of           additional qualification.  (1)           If any  person whose  name  is           entered in  the Indian Medical           Register obtains   any   title           diploma           or     other           qualification for  proficiency           in    sanitary        science,           public   health   or  medicine           which     is     a  recognised           medical     qualification   he           shall   on         application           made   in   this behalf in the           prescribed manner be  entitled           to   have   an   entry stating           such  other     title, diploma           or  other  qualification  made           against  his     name  in  the           Indian Medical Register either           in substitut666ion  for or  in           addition    to    any    entry           previously made.           (2) The   entries  in  respect           of any such  person in a State           Medical  Register    shall  be           altered in    accordance  with           the alterations  ntade in  the           Indian Medical Register." It would   thus  be  clear that  the basic  qualification of M.B.B.S. as primary   qualification is a pre-condition for a candidate for being registered in the State Medical Register maintained by the State  Board. The  second respondent  does not  have the basic  qualification  his M.Sc. (BioChemistry) cannot  be considered to  be a    basic    qualification for practising as a Medical Practitioner.  The  High  Court  has thus   committed  obvious  error  in   allowing     the writ petition   and    directing the appellant to register him as a Medical Practitioner.      The appeal is accordingly allowed. No costs.