The Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of AYUSH vs A.T.S.V.S. Siddha Medical College and Hospital, Rep. By Its Principal
- SCC(2020) 17 SCC 480
- Neutral2019 INSC 165
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
An order of the Supreme Court requiring that students admitted and permitted to continue their course conditional upon an inspection being conducted is violated when a government authority refuses permission retroactively on the ground that an inspection conducted years after the years in question cannot assess the facilities that existed in those prior years; the proper function of such an inspection is to assess the existing infrastructure and facilities at the time of inspection, not to verify conditions retrospectively.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. After
considering the inspection report, the Appellant decided
that the first Respondent-College was not entitled for
issuance of permission for the academic year 2015-2016
and 2016-2017. Permission was not granted on the ground
that assessment of the availability of infrastructure and
other requirements for the years 2015-2016 and 2016-
2017 could not be made by the CCIM on the basis of the
inspection conducted on 2nd and 3rd November, 2018.
5. A perusal of the material on record would make it
clear that the first Respondent-College was granted
permission to admit only 40 students and not 60 seats, as
requested. Pursuant to an interim order passed by the
High Court, the College admitted 58 students which means
that 18 students were admitted in excess of the sanctioned
intake. For the year 2016-2017 no permission was granted
to the first Respondent-College to make any admission
3 | Page since, according to the Union of India, the College did not
permit an inspection to be conducted. However, the first
Respondent College made admissions to 39 seats on the
basis of an interim order passed by the High Court. The
dispute pertains to the future of those students who were
admitted without any permission by the Appellant. There
is no ambiguity in the order dated 27 th September, 2018
passed by this Court in the above Civil Appeals; the
students who were admitted in excess of the sanctioned
intake were to be permitted to take examinations and the
results to be announced on the basis of the inspection to
be conducted by the competent authority i.e. CCIM.
6. The refusal by the Union of India to grant permission
approving the admission of 18 students for 2015-2016 and
39 students for 2016-2017 who were admitted in excess of
the sanctioned strength, is contrary to the direction issued
by this Court in Civil Appeals No.10023-10024 of 2018.
The inspection that was to be conducted pursuant to the
order of this Court was for assessing the existing
infrastructure and other facilities. The report of the CCIM
which indicated that assessment for the year 2015-2016
and 2016-2017 cannot be made on the basis of the
inspection conducted in November, 2018, is in violation of 4 | Page the direction issued by this Court. The continuance of the
students who were admitted beyond the sanctioned
strength was made contingent on said inspection. The
judgment of the High Court in favour of such students was
upheld subject to the outcome of the inspection that was
directed. To say that assessment of the facilities in 2015-
16 and 2016-17 cannot be done by inspection in 2018 and
refuse permission is in blatant violation of the order of this
Court dated 27th September, 2018.
7. We were taken through the inspection report by Mr.
Jayant Bhushan, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the
first Respondent-College to show that the College has all
the facilities that are required in accordance with the
Regulations. The learned Additional Solicitor General
appearing for the Appellant disputed the said submission
to state that certain deficiencies still exist.
8. A perusal of the inspection report shows that there
are no serious deficiencies. The refusal by the Union of
India to truthfully carry out the orders passed by this Court
in the Civil Appeal Nos.10023-10024 of 2018 prompts us to
direct the approval of admissions of the 18 students in
excess of the sanctioned intake of 40 seats for the year
2015-2016 and the 39 students for the year 2016-2017.
5 | Page The said students shall be permitted to take the
examinations and the results may be announced. We do
not approve the conduct of the first Respondent-College in
making admissions without the requisite permission and
not permitting inspection. The Appellant is at liberty to
take suitable action in case the first Respondent does not
fulfill the requirements as per the Regulations. This order
shall not be treated as a precedent as it is passed in the
peculiar facts of the case.
9. M.A. Nos. 2867-2868 of 2018 in Civil Appeal No(s).
10023-10024 of 2018 are disposed of.
..................................J. [L. NAGESWARA RAO]
..................................J. [SANJAY KISHAN KAUL]
New Delhi, February 08, 2019.
6 | Page
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