MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Ministry of AYUSH to accept the application of an educational trust for starting an Ayurveda medical college for the academic year 2019-20. The trust had sought approval prior to Ministry of AYUSH notification against receiving fresh applications for establishing new AYUSH colleges for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Immanuel Arasar International Institute of Science and Technology Educational and Charitable Trust, Kanniyakumari, which challenged the Ministry’s notification of June.
The petitioner said it intended to run an Ayurveda college from 2018-19 and had created adequate infrastructure for it in 2017.
An application was made seeking a ‘no-objection’ certificate and for affiliation for the college. However, following the notification, permission was denied by the Ministryand the Central Council of Indian Medicine.
The petitioner claimed that this would affect the institute as it had already spent money towards building the college on 5.28 acres of land. A ‘no-objection- certificate was obtained from Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare department after infrastructural facilities and records were verified. The institute sought a direction for grant of permission to run the college from the academic year 2018-19.
Justice V. Parthiban, hearing the plea, observed that the process for seeking approval had commenced prior to the notification and by a subsequent notification the trust’s right to start the college could not be taken away. The court sought a counter affidavit from the Ministry and directed it to grant approval by completing the process expeditiously. The case was adjourned for final hearing till November 12.
