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2021 Supreme(Del) 1999

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
C. Hari Shankar, J.
Ram Krishan Parmhans Shiksha Parishad - Appellant
Versus
Union Of India & Anr. - Respondents
Review Petition No. 474 of 2018; Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7954 of 2017
Decided On : 21-01-2021

Advocates appeared:
Raju Ramachandran, Advocate, Amitesh Kumar, Advocate, Binisa Mohanty, Advocate, Priti Kumari, Advocate, Ishwar Mohanty, Advocate, P.S. Singh, Advocate, Archana Pathak Dave, Advocate, Ankita Chaudhary, Advocate

The consequences of inaction by the respondents within the specified time must follow as per the legal fiction provision in Section 13A(6) of the IMCC Act.

Headnote:

REVIEW PETITION - MEDICAL COLLEGE - IMCC ACT, 1970 - [FACT OF THE CASE] The petitioner's application to start a new Ayurveda college was rejected. The petitioner contended that the rejection had no effect in law as per Section 13A(6) of the IMCC Act. [FINDING OF THE COURT] The court found that the rejection of the petitioner's application was beyond the period of one year stipulated in Section 13A(6) of the IMCC Act. The court also referred to the judgment of the High Court of Gujarat in Parul University v. Union of India,2017 SCCOnLineGuj 77, which interpreted a similar provision in the Homeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The court held that the petitioner's application was deemed to have been approved on the expiry of one year from the date of submission. [ISSUES] The issue was whether the approval to the petitioner's scheme could be deemed to have been granted as per Section 13A(6) of the IMCC Act. [RATIO DECIDENDI] The court applied the legal fiction provision in Section 13A(6) and held that the consequences of inaction by the respondents within the specified time must follow. The court also referred to the principle that when a public functionary is required to do a certain thing within a specified time and the consequence of inaction is expressly provided, it must be held to be imperative. [FINAL DECISION] The court recalled its previous judgment, allowed the review petition, and set aside the rejection of the petitioner's application. All admissions and related exercises permitted during the pendency of the review petition were duly regularized.

JUDGMENT

C. Hari Shankar, J. - The application, of the petitioner Shri Ram Krishan Paramhans Shiksha Parishad, to start a new Ayurveda college, with 100 seats, and to confer BAMS degrees, on the basis thereof, for the academic session 2017-2018, was rejected vide order dated 10th August, 2017. Assailing the said rejection, the petitioner approached this Court by way of WP (C) 7954/2017, which was dismissed vide judgment dated 17th December, 2018. Review Petition 474/2018 was filed, by the petitioner, seeking review of the said judgment.

2. A brief conspectus of the controversy is necessary at the outset.

3. The petitioner was granted initial registration, under the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Societies Act, 2012, in 1983- 84, and was granted a new registration number on 9th May, 2013. On 25th April, 2014, the petitioner submitted an application, to the Central Council for Indian Medicine (Respondent No. 2 herein and referred to, hereinafter, as "CCIM"), for grant of permission to open a Medical College, at Digrota, with 100 seats, from the 2014-2015 academic session. The CCIM responded vide communication dated 24th July, 2014, stating that the petitioner's application had been examined in terms of the relevant regulations under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 (hereinafter referred to as "the IMCC Act"), but was found to be deficient in 11 respects. In view of these deficiencies, it was concluded, in the aforesaid communication dated 24th July, 2014, that the petitioner did not fulfil the eligibility criteria specified in Regulation 6(1) of the Establishment of New Medical College, Opening of New or Higher Course of Study or Training and Increase of Admission Capacity by a Medical College Regulations, 2003 (hereinafter referred to as "the 2003 Regulations"), as amended in 2013. Accordingly, the application of the petitioner, for starting the new Ayurvedic College, was returned as "not considered". Liberty was, however, reserved, to the petitioner, to apply afresh with all prerequisites, from the 1st to the 30th April of any year.

4. According to the petitioner, the deficiencies noted, in the communication dated 24th July, 2014 (supra), were rectified by the petitioner, and intimation, to the said effect, was forwarded, by the petitioner, to the CCIM vide letter dated 9th September, 2014, which requested the said respondent to process the proposal for setting up of the Ayurveda College, by the petitioner, at the earliest.

5. The CCIM replied vide letter dated 24th September, 2014, pointing out that, vide its communication dated 24th July, 2014 (supra), the earlier application of the petitioner, for permission to set up the Ayurveda College, had been returned, as there was no provision empowering the CCIM to accept any proposal beyond 30th April of any year, as stipulated in the 2003 Regulations. The revised application, of the petitioner, having been submitted on 9th September, 2014, the CCIM stated that the said application could not be accepted and was, therefore, returned preserving, yet again, liberty, to the petitioner, to apply afresh, with all necessary documents, as per the 2003 Regulations and the applicable norms of the CCIM, between the 1st and the 30th of April of any year.

6. The petitioner's premises were, thereafter, inspected, on 1st October, 2014 by an expert committee constituted by the Pt B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak (hereinafter referred to as "BDSU"), with which the petitioner was affiliated, to assess the petitioner's capability to start the BAMS course, with 100 seats, for the 2015-2016 academic session. Consequent thereupon, the Registrar of the BDSU wrote, on 30th October, 2014, to the petitioner, granting consent, once again, for affiliation of the proposed Ayurveda college, with 100 seats, to be established at Digrota subject, however, to grant of permission, by the Central Government under Section 13A of the IMCC Act.

7. On 1st November, 2014, the petitioner wro

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