'Doctor', 'Dr' not exclusive to medical professionals: Kerala HC
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Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court has dismissed pleas moved by medical professionals against the use of 'Dr' by physiotherapists and occupational therapists, saying the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act does not provide for use of the prefix by MBBS graduates.
Justice V G Arun said that the word 'doctor' was initially used for referring to someone who had achieved the highest level of learning and had received licence to teach in fields like theology, law and philosophy.
The court said that the term doctor originally meant a learned person qualified to teach, but gradually, with the advancement of medical science, university trained physicians -- holders of degrees in medicine -- began to be called doctors.
"Therefore, the contention that the title 'doctor' exclusively belongs to medical professionals is a misconception since even now, like in the olden times, persons with higher educational qualifications like PhD are entitled to use the title 'doctor'," the court said.
It further said that the NMC Act does not contain any provision for conferring the title doctor on qualified medical professionals.
The court also said that the expression title used in section 40 of the Kerala State Medical Practitioners Act cannot be understood as statutorily entitling the qualified medical professionals to prefix 'Dr' to their names.
"In the absence of such provision, the petitioners (doctors) cannot claim exclusive right to use the prefix 'Dr'," the court said.
It also declined to read down the provisions of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession (NCAHP) Act, 2021, so as to confine the scope of discharge of professional services by physiotherapists and occupational therapists as a supporting group for the qualified medical professionals registered under the NMC Act.
The court said it would be inappropriate to "tinker" with the policy of the central government or read down the provisions of the NCAHP Act or the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at the instance of a few medical professionals.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
