'Bengaluru's cosmopolitan life very alluring': SC rejects government doctors’ plea against transfers

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea by government doctors against their transfers from Bengaluru, stating that the city's lifestyle cannot prevent relocation.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea by a group of government doctors challenging their transfers out of Bengaluru, observing that the city’s cosmopolitan lifestyle cannot be a valid ground to resist relocation.

A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran said there was no prejudice caused by the transfers.

A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran said there was no prejudice caused by the transfers and emphasised that other regions in Karnataka are also well-developed.

“The cosmopolitan life of Bengaluru is very alluring. But other areas of Karnataka are also developed. You are a privileged class of society. If you oppose transfers, what about others? We are not inclined to entertain the appeal,” the bench remarked.

The doctors had approached the top court against the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and other Staff) Rules, 2025, which govern the transfer of medical officers and health department staff across the state.

The Karnataka High Court had earlier declined to stay the implementation of these rules, holding that the 2025 regulations were framed under the state’s powers granted by the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and other Staff) Act, 2011. The court noted that the Act does not prescribe any specific timeframe between the publication of draft rules and their finalisation.

The petitioners had raised objections over the short notice period, claiming they were given only a week to respond to the draft rules. They also argued that the draft made no mention of "Greater Bengaluru," and its subsequent inclusion in the final notification was procedurally flawed.

Despite these contentions, the Supreme Court declined to interfere, effectively upholding the High Court's view and allowing the state to proceed with the transfers.

(With PTI inputs)