Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Ordering a CBI inquiry into irregularities committed in grant of recognition to as many as 35 nursing colleges in Gwalior-Chambal region high court Gwalior bench said on Thursday authorities acted in slipshod manner and similar irregularities couldn’t be ruled out in other parts of the state.
The high court passed the order for CBI inquiry on Wednesday hearing as many as 33 petitions filed by management of 33 nursing colleges. The written order was, however, uploaded on the high court’s web portal on Thursday.
Notably, recently the state government suspended the recognition of more than 90 nursing colleges across the state for failing to fulfill the norms of running nursing courses.
Passing strong strictures on the functioning of Indian Nursing Council, Madhya Pradesh Nursing Registration Council and MP Medical Science University, Jabalpur the court observed the rules and regulations were not complied with in granting recognition to the nursing colleges which lacked infrastructure.
The division bench of high court comprising Justice Rohit Arya and Justice Milind Ramesh Phadke said, “In nutshell, the INC (Indian Nursing Council) has also acted in a most reprehensible manner while either granting recognition to nursing colleges up to 2017 or suitability certificates after 2017….. As such, the role of Indian Nursing Council has also not been above board and in fact vulnerable in public domain”
The bench said, “…we are of the considered view that the MP Nursing Council, MP Medical Science University and also Indian Nursing Council have not conducted themselves in accordance with the provisions of Adhiniyam, 1972, Adhiniyam, 2011, statute and ordinances in the matter of granting recognition, affiliation, registration and enrollment to the nursing colleges and so-called students.”
The court observed it was satisfied prima facie that the authorities acted in a slipshod manner contrary to the provisions of the Act and the Rules. Institutions lacking in infrastructure and logistics were permitted to run admitting indiscriminately unverified number of persons as students.
The court observed that the possibility of such grave illegalities and irregularities committed by statutory bodies in respect of other colleges in the state of Madhya Pradesh couldn’t be ruled out.
In a strong stricture on functioning of the government agencies and the institutions the court observed, “The clandestine manner of granting recognition and admitting Institutions/Colleges to the privileges of the Medical Science University (affiliation and enrolment) with an oblique motive to achieve collateral purposes is ex facie apparent, jeopardizing public health and life of innumerable patients in hospitals and primary health centres, at the hands of so called students of such colleges holding certificate of qualified nurse.”
The bench went on to say, “If the affairs prevailing in such statutory bodies are not checked through a comprehensive enquiry by an independent body, grave irreparable harm shall be caused to the society at large as recurrence of such illegalities cannot also be avoided in times to come, at the cost of public health and human life.”
