08-30-2006, 12:32 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Ramadoss trips over law again, loses sack race </b>
Yoga Rangatia | New Delhi
MCI PG chief reinstated
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss' penchant for sacking senior officials has earned him a rap from the judiciary for the third time in a row. In a strongly worded statement, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed the Ministry's notification to remove Medical Council of India's post-graduate committee chairman Ved Prakash Mishra.
The order comes after Delhi High Court in an interim order stayed Dr Ramadoss' decision to sack All India Institute of Medical Sciences Director P Venugopal.
Earlier this year, the same court stayed his decision to sack Central Committee of Homoeopathy Chairman SPS Bakshi.
The Health Minister's highhandedness in appointing and removing senior officials has come under sharp criticism after the latest judgement.
In January this year, the Health Ministry issued a notification to remove Dr Mishra as the chairman of the MCI's PG committee, citing that he had taken up an assignment as vice-chancellor of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, a deemed university in Wardha.
The Ministry argued that since he ceases to be faculty of Nagpur University, his nomination to the MCI committee also stands terminated. Continuing this argument, the Ministry said his term as chairman also stood terminated when the Government withdraws his nomination to the Council. Dr Mishra had proceeded on leave to take up his new assignment.
Last week, the Bench reminded the Minister that Central Government did not have jurisdiction to decide the membership of university authorities. In a 60-page order, the Bench said the notification was bad in law, misconceived, arbitrary and unjust.
The Government cannot nominate and sack experts at its own will. It also said that experts are nominated to the MCI committee for a fixed term. Thereafter the committee elected Dr Mishra its chairman.
Dr Ramadoss' running feud with MCI is an open secret. He has even introduced a Bill in Parliament to usurp the powers of the Council. The draft Bill empowers the Health Ministry to sack the president, vice-president and members of the Council.
The Delhi High Court also snubbed the Minister by staying his controversial decision to sack AIIMS director. What is less well known is how the Minister unceremoniously removed Central Council of Homoeopathy President SPS Bakshi. In an interim order in June 2006, the High Court stayed the Health Minister's decision and re-instated Dr Bakshi. Like MCI, the Council plays a role in registration of courses in Homoeopathy studies.
Whether it is MCI, AIIMS or Homoeopathy Council, there is a pattern to the Health Minister's moves to control every lever of decision-making and remove officials not amiable to his diktats.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yoga Rangatia | New Delhi
MCI PG chief reinstated
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss' penchant for sacking senior officials has earned him a rap from the judiciary for the third time in a row. In a strongly worded statement, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed the Ministry's notification to remove Medical Council of India's post-graduate committee chairman Ved Prakash Mishra.
The order comes after Delhi High Court in an interim order stayed Dr Ramadoss' decision to sack All India Institute of Medical Sciences Director P Venugopal.
Earlier this year, the same court stayed his decision to sack Central Committee of Homoeopathy Chairman SPS Bakshi.
The Health Minister's highhandedness in appointing and removing senior officials has come under sharp criticism after the latest judgement.
In January this year, the Health Ministry issued a notification to remove Dr Mishra as the chairman of the MCI's PG committee, citing that he had taken up an assignment as vice-chancellor of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, a deemed university in Wardha.
The Ministry argued that since he ceases to be faculty of Nagpur University, his nomination to the MCI committee also stands terminated. Continuing this argument, the Ministry said his term as chairman also stood terminated when the Government withdraws his nomination to the Council. Dr Mishra had proceeded on leave to take up his new assignment.
Last week, the Bench reminded the Minister that Central Government did not have jurisdiction to decide the membership of university authorities. In a 60-page order, the Bench said the notification was bad in law, misconceived, arbitrary and unjust.
The Government cannot nominate and sack experts at its own will. It also said that experts are nominated to the MCI committee for a fixed term. Thereafter the committee elected Dr Mishra its chairman.
Dr Ramadoss' running feud with MCI is an open secret. He has even introduced a Bill in Parliament to usurp the powers of the Council. The draft Bill empowers the Health Ministry to sack the president, vice-president and members of the Council.
The Delhi High Court also snubbed the Minister by staying his controversial decision to sack AIIMS director. What is less well known is how the Minister unceremoniously removed Central Council of Homoeopathy President SPS Bakshi. In an interim order in June 2006, the High Court stayed the Health Minister's decision and re-instated Dr Bakshi. Like MCI, the Council plays a role in registration of courses in Homoeopathy studies.
Whether it is MCI, AIIMS or Homoeopathy Council, there is a pattern to the Health Minister's moves to control every lever of decision-making and remove officials not amiable to his diktats.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->