Defiance of Court Orders: Rajasthan High Court Initiates Contempt Proceedings Against RUHS

In a stern rebuke regarding bureaucratic inaction, the High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan at Jodhpur has initiated suo-motu contempt proceedings against the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS). The case, centering on the Saloni Institute of Medical Sciences, highlights a persistent failure by the university to act in accordance with judicial directives concerning annual college affiliations.

A Cycle of Litigation

The dispute arises from a recurring pattern where the Saloni Institute of Medical Sciences has been forced to approach the court every academic year to secure its rightful affiliation. Despite receiving NOCs from the State Government, the institute faced repetitive hurdles from RUHS, ostensibly linked to a past case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)—a case that had already been resolved with a negative final report.

Despite a clear ruling by a coordinate bench on August 27, 2024, mandating the grant of annual affiliation, the university failed to process the paperwork. This delay resulted in the institute’s exclusion from the initial rounds of student counseling for the 2024-25 B.Sc. (Nursing) course, leading to vacant seats and significant financial loss for the institution.

The Arguments: Arbitrary Hurdles vs. Admitted Failure

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that the institution's exclusion from the provisional list during the first round of counseling was entirely unjustified. It was noted that the university continued to tag the institute’s status as "subject to the final decision of the High Court," even though the matter had already been adjudicated in the institute's favor in August 2024.

Representing the respondent, the university counsel candidly admitted that there was no plausible explanation for the failure to grant affiliation post-August 2024. Significantly, the respondent confirmed that no appeal had been filed against the previous court order, rendering the university’s continued inaction not only unjustified but legally indefensible.

Key Observations

Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur expressed deep dissatisfaction with the conduct of the university, stating:

• "The above narrated facts depict that the respondent RUHS is bent upon to harass the petitioner-Institution for no good reason."
• "The stand of the respondent – RUHS is clearly arbitrary and unsustainable."
• "A bare reading of the order dated 27.08.2024 reveals the inaction on the part of the respondent RUHS and less said the better, the authorities are undermining the orders passed by this Court."
• "Since, the respondents have not issued the orders for annual affiliation of the petitioner-Institution till date for no good reason, therefore, it is a fit case where the suo-motu contempt proceedings are required to be initiated."

Judicial Conclusion and Implications

Observing that the authorities were actively undermining the dignity and efficacy of the High Court's mandates, Justice Mathur ordered the registry to convert the writ petition into a contempt petition. The Registrar of the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences has been summoned to show cause as to why formal contempt proceedings should not be finalized.

This ruling serves as a stark reminder to regulatory bodies that court orders are not mere suggestions. For educational institutions caught in similar administrative gridlock, this case provides a strong precedent for seeking judicial intervention when academic interests are jeopardized by arbitrary institutional delays.

The matter is slated for further proceedings on March 25, 2025.