Rejected as “Physically Unfit” to Become a Doctor — Years Later, Ganesh Baraiya Was Treating Patients
In 2018, Ganesh Baraiya accomplished something he had dreamed about since childhood: he passed the entrance examination required to study medicine in India.

But instead of beginning medical school, he was told that his body was not considered suitable for the profession.

Born in Gujarat, India, Ganesh is around three feet tall and has a 72% locomotor disability. Despite the challenges he faced, he had always wanted to become a doctor.

After successfully passing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), he expected to begin his medical education. However, the Medical Council of India rejected his admission, citing concerns about whether his disability would allow him to perform the duties expected of a doctor.

Ganesh decided to challenge the decision.

His case first reached the Gujarat High Court, where he was unsuccessful. The setback left him deeply discouraged, and at one point he considered giving up on his dream of becoming a doctor altogether.

But his mentor and school principal, Dalpat Katariya, encouraged him to continue fighting.

The case eventually reached the Supreme Court of India.

On October 22, 2018, the court ruled in Ganesh’s favor, determining that he had been wrongly denied admission to medical school.

However, another obstacle remained. By the time the legal battle was resolved, the medical-school seats for that academic year had already been filled.

Ganesh had to wait another year.

Finally, in 2019, he entered Government Medical College in Bhavnagar as an MBBS student.

Medical school brought its own challenges. During his first year, completing written examinations within the standard time was difficult. With appropriate support and accommodations, however, he continued his studies rather than giving up.

Years of education, clinical training and internship followed.

Then came a moment that marked a remarkable change in his journey.

In November 2025, Ganesh Baraiya began working as a Medical Officer at Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital in Bhavnagar.

The person who had once been told that his physical condition made him unsuitable to become a doctor was now working in a hospital, examining patients and participating in medical care.

Ganesh has spoken about how some patients initially appear surprised when they meet him. But that reaction can quickly change once the consultation begins.

They see a doctor listening to them, examining them and helping them.

His journey took years and required both legal and personal perseverance. But it ultimately transformed a question about whether he could become a doctor into a reality: he did.

Today, patients do not meet Ganesh simply as the person who once fought for the right to study medicine.

They meet him as Dr. Ganesh Baraiya.

Sources / Further Information:

Supreme Court of India — judgment concerning Ganesh Baraiya’s admission to medical education, October 22, 2018
Government Medical College, Bhavnagar
Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital, Bhavnagar
Indian media reports and interviews concerning Dr. Ganesh Baraiya’s medical education and career