The West Bengal Health Department has launched a formal process to identify junior doctors who allegedly secured higher-studies opportunities under the service quota in state-run medical colleges and hospitals without meeting mandatory eligibility criteria — a practice that reportedly flourished during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

What the Rules Require

Under existing norms, any junior doctor seeking admission to a postgraduate programme through the service quota at a government medical institution must first complete three years of mandatory service in remote rural areas of the state. According to a health department insider, a recently concluded probe found that several junior doctors — reportedly those with close ties to the then-ruling party — bypassed this requirement entirely.

'The general rule is that any junior doctor getting opportunity for higher studies in any state-run medical college and hospital under the service quota is required to mandatorily render three years of service in remote rural areas in the state to avail that opportunity,' the official said.

What the Probe Found

A four-member committee appointed by the state health department has already submitted its report on the matter. The panel identified instances of the service-quota norm being violated and also flagged the role of certain senior officers within the department. According to the insider, the probe committee concluded that such irregularities could not have occurred without the direct patronage of influential departmental officials.

'The probe committee had also mentioned the involvement of some erstwhile influential officers in the state health department, without whose direct patronage such irregularities in the utilisation of the service quota would not have been possible,' the official added, noting that action against departmental staff is also now being planned.

RG Kar Link Surfaces

Notably, one of the junior doctors identified in the probe report is Avik Dey, a name that had previously surfaced during the controversy surrounding the R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder case in August 2024. The connection has added political weight to the ongoing investigation, drawing fresh scrutiny to alleged networks of patronage within the state's public health system.

What the Minister Said

State Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee, who is a medical practitioner himself, told reporters he is yet to study the probe report in full. He said that once he has reviewed it, he will announce the next steps required. The final decision on action against both the beneficiary doctors and the enabling officials, according to a department source, rests with the minister and senior departmental leadership.

What Happens Next

The department's dual focus — on the junior doctors who allegedly benefited and on the senior officers who allegedly facilitated the irregularities — signals a broad accountability sweep. With the committee's report already on record, observers will watch whether the findings translate into departmental proceedings, cancellation of admissions, or criminal referrals. The case is being closely watched as a test of the current state government's willingness to pursue accountability within its own administrative machinery.