UDF Alleges Arbitrariness, Lack of Transparency, and Constitutional Violations
New Delhi: The recently conducted centralized recruitment for Senior Residents under the Government of NCT of Delhi has come under legal scrutiny, with doctors filing a plea before the Delhi High Court alleging serious procedural irregularities. The challenge was submitted by the United Doctors Front (UDF) through senior national legal advisor Dr. Charu Mathur under Diary No. 31458/2026.
Allegations of Arbitrariness
The doctors contend that the recruitment process suffers from grave arbitrariness, lack of transparency, and constitutional infirmities. They claim it violates the principles of equality, fairness, and equal opportunity guaranteed under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India. The plea emphasizes that the process impacts both candidates and public healthcare delivery.
Scope of Recruitment
The recruitment drive was conducted for Senior Resident positions across all Delhi government hospitals, including premier institutions such as Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP), GB Pant Hospital, and Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital. The aim was to fill 1,593 sanctioned posts across various specialties and super-specialties, including anaesthesia, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, paediatrics, medicine, surgery, radiology, and orthopaedics.
Interview-Only Process Under Scrutiny
The UDF highlighted that candidates were assessed solely through interviews, without any written examination, disclosed merit criteria, or transparency in evaluation. Interview marks and the basis of selection were not made public, raising concerns over arbitrariness and possible constitutional violations in public employment practices.
Category-Wise Discrepancies and Post Allocation Issues
The plea also points out category-wise irregularities, including improper allotment of reserved seats, arbitrary allocation of institutions against candidates’ declared preferences despite vacancies, and failure to fill sanctioned posts without justification. UDF argues that these anomalies reflect procedural inconsistencies and lack of fairness.
UDF Statement on Recruitment Concerns
Dr. Lakshya Mittal, President of UDF, stated, “Senior Residents form the backbone of the public healthcare system, sustaining emergency services, ICUs, and academic training. Any injustice or uncertainty in their recruitment directly impacts patient care and the integrity of medical education. The opaque practices in Delhi set an adverse precedent for public healthcare recruitment nationwide.”
Demand for Judicial Intervention
Through the writ petition, UDF seeks judicial scrutiny, transparency, adherence to Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, and a fair, merit-based recruitment process. The doctors emphasize that a just and transparent system is crucial for doctors, patients, and the broader public healthcare infrastructure.
Background of Recruitment Drive
Last year in November 2025, the Delhi Government had announced the major recruitment drive to address doctor shortages in key specialties and strengthen patient care services. Applications were invited for regular appointments across multiple specialities, with the last date to apply being November 10, 2025.
