30-04-2025
HC upholds new eligibility for ANM, health workers, but bars retrospective effect
Bhopal/Jabalpur: The MP high court has upheld the revised eligibility criteria for the appointment of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and female health workers, but ruled that the changes cannot be applied retrospectively.
More than 4000 candidates had filed petitions, challenging the changes in eligibility criteria.
The petitioners said MP Staff Selection Board (MPSSB) had advertised vacancies for recruitments on the post of ANM, female health workers and other posts. On Feb 2, 2019, eligibility criteria for the post of ANM and female health workers was amended.
In place of 10th, a person having passed 12th with the subjects physics, chemistry and biology could have applied for the post. Besides, the tenure of nursing training was also raised from 18 months to 24 months. The Indian Nursing Council had made the changes in eligibility criteria in 2012-13. After hearing the argument from all sides, the bench of chief justice S K Kait and Justice Vivek Jain had reserved its judgement.
The court in its judgement pronounced on Tuesday upheld the changes in eligibility criteria but said that it would not be done with retrospective effect.
The court clarified that candidates who passed the class 10th and took admission in college for nursing training before the academic session 2012-13 would be eligible to apply for the posts.
Following this date, only those who have received 24 months of nursing training will be eligible. All the persons who passed class 12th with any subjects before the session 2018-19 will be eligible but following this, only persons who have passed class 12th with physics, chemistry and biology will be eligible to apply.
