'Bengaluru's cosmopolitan life very alluring': Supreme Court refuses doctors' plea against transfer

New Delhi:  The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a plea by government doctors of Karnataka against their transfer from Bengaluru, observing its cosmopolitan life of the city was "very alluring".  

A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran held that no prejudice would be caused to the doctors if they were transferred out of Bengaluru.

 "The cosmopolitan life of Bangalore is very alluring. The others areas of Karnataka are also developed. You are a privileged class of society. If you will oppose transfer what will happen to others. We are not inclined to entertain the appeal," the bench said.     

A plea was filed by a group of doctors challenging the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and other Staff) Rules, 2025 which regulates the transfer of medical officers and other staff within the state's health and family welfare department.     

The Karnataka High Court had refused to stay the rules, saying the 2025 rules were enacted in exercise of state’s power under Section 12 of Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and other Staff) 2011 Act, which would not specify any time between the publication of draft and finalisation of draft rules.     

The petitioners questioned the rules, citing only a week's time to file objections to the draft rules.     

They submitted the draft rules had no concept of Greater Bengaluru and incorporation of Greater Bengaluru in the final notification was impermissible.