New Delhi- The United Doctors Front (UDF), represented by President Dr. Lakshya Mittal, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India challenging the exploitative and unconstitutional working conditions imposed on resident doctors across the country.

The petition (Diary No. 211832/2025) seeks urgent intervention from the apex court to enforce compliance with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's 1992 notification, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Advocates Satyam Singh and Neema (AOR) would be representing the UDF.

"Resident doctors are routinely made to work between 70-100 hours weekly without adequate rest, leading to chronic stress, physical exhaustion, and deteriorating mental health. This not only endangers the doctors but also compromises patient safety," said Dr. Lakshya Mittal, President of UDF.

The PIL highlights that despite clear directives from the Supreme Court over three decades ago, medical institutions continue to violate prescribed standards with impunity. The petition cites the National Task Force report on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students, which documented over 150 suicides of medical students within five years, primarily due to work-related stress and sleep deprivation.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, Advocate Singh said, the UDF has requested the court to :

1. Issue directions to all government and private medical institutions to implement the 1992 directive on duty hours

2. Direct concerned authorities to prepare and enforce duty rosters that respect human psychological and physical limitations

3. Establish enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with regulations

"This is not merely about labor rights but about the fundamental right to life with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution," Singh said.

The PIL comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's own observations in the RG Kar Medical College case last year, where the court termed resident doctors' working conditions as "inhuman."

The matter is expected to be listed for hearing in the coming weeks.