‘Best doctor in the world’: MP High Court upholds equal pay benefits for veterinarians

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled in favor of veterinarians, granting them equal time-scale pay benefits as medical officers. The court's decision was based on the demanding and skilled nature of their work, requiring deep intuition, diagnostic skills, and observation to treat voiceless animals in remote areas with harsh conditions. Justices Anand Pathak and B P Sharma likened veterinarians to the "best doctors in the world" due to their ability to diagnose and heal animals using specialized skills.

The original petition, filed by Vishnu Kumar Gupta and other veterinary assistants, argued that they should receive equal pay benefits, as dental surgeons and medical officers already do. The court noted that while veterinarians and medical professionals both serve as "healers of society," the difference in their work and the populations they serve does not justify discrimination in pay progression.

The court dismissed the state's objections, stating that veterinary surgeons already receive equivalent pay scales and benefits. Both regular doctors and veterinarians interact with over 80% of the rural population, making their services crucial to the community. Consequently, the High Court ordered the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy to grant veterinary surgeons the same time-scale pay benefits as dental doctors.