JUDGMENT :

R.K. Agrawal, J.

1. The above appeals have been filed against the judgment and order dated 08.01.2003 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam in O.P. No. 24109 of 2001 and connected matters whereby the High Court had dismissed the petitions filed by the appellants herein.

2. Brief facts:

(a) In the State of Kerala, a number of persons are practicing in Sidha/Unani/Ayurveda system of medicine called as “Paramparya Vaidyas’ and passing their knowledge and experience to their descendants by way of training and practice. Normally, almost all the descendants in the family get training in the same field and adopt this as a profession and means of livelihood.

(b) Kerala Ayurveda Paramparya Vaidya Forum (in short ‘the Forum’) – the appellant herein is an association of ‘Paramparya Vaidyas’ in Travancore-Cochin, registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955. The main objective of the Forum is the welfare of its members and to render assistance for practice in indigenous medicines.

(c) Pursuant to the enactment of the Travancore-Cochin Medical Practitioners Act, 1953 (in short ‘the Act’), the ‘Pa