Sat Nov 22 19:13:08 UTC 2025: News Article:

Controversy Erupts Over SLD Vacancies in Tamil Nadu Assistant Surgeon Recruitment

Chennai, November 23, 2025 – A recent notification by the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) to fill 1,100 assistant surgeon positions in Tamil Nadu has sparked controversy. The MRB has earmarked 18 vacancies for candidates with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), in addition to 51 backlog SLD vacancies, under the “Differently Abled Person” (DAP) category.

This allocation has drawn criticism from government doctors, who argue it disproportionately favors SLD candidates at the expense of individuals with other disabilities, particularly Locomotor Disability (LD). Concerns have been raised that the limited number of eligible SLD candidates will result in unfilled vacancies within the DAP quota, diluting the opportunities for doctors with other disabilities.

“There is hardly any candidate in the SLD category in the State,” stated Prabu M., State president of the Differently Abled Government Doctors Association. He highlighted that similar issues arose during last year’s recruitment, leading to unfilled DAP vacancies. He suggested the MRB is mirroring recruitment criteria used by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, without adequate justification.

P. Saminathan, president of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, echoed these concerns. He criticized the MRB for repeating the allocation despite previous warnings, fearing it will create a backlog in assistant surgeon positions under the DAP quota and ultimately disadvantage individuals with other disabilities.

Both associations are urging the Health Department to review the eligibility criteria. They propose reducing the qualifying mark for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to 20% or decreasing the qualifying mark by 10% to encourage wider participation and prevent vacancies from going unfilled, thereby empowering more differently abled doctors. The controversy highlights the ongoing debate surrounding fair representation and allocation within disability quotas in government recruitment processes in Tamil Nadu.

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