Full Judgment Text
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CASE NO.:
Appeal (civil) 3125 of 1997
PETITIONER:
MUZAFFARPUR HOMOEOPATHIC COLLEGE & HOSPITAL, KHABRA & ANR.
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
STATE OF BIHAR & ORS.
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 17/09/2001
BENCH:
S. Rajendra Babu & Doraiswamy Raju.
JUDGMENT:
J U D G M E N T
RAJENDRA BABU, J. :
The appellant-College before us was granted recognition/affiliation
to give training in or imparting courses in homeopathic system of
medicine leading to grant of diploma, graded degree and degree by a
notification issued by the Bihar University on 19.6.1985. Pursuant to
this notification on 16.8.1985 the appellant-College deposited a sum of
Rs. 50,000/- only with the Bihar University towards Reserve Fund of the
College. A communication was also sent by the Bihar University to the
Secretary, Central Council of Homoeopathy, New Delhi (for short the
Council] to recognise the BHMS, that is, Direct Degree Course and
BHMS, that is, Graded Degree Course of the Bihar University and to
enter the same in the IInd Schedule to the Homoeopathy Central Council
Act, 1973 so that the degree obtained from the Bihar University is valid
throughout the country which was acceded to by the Council on
6.2.1986.
A batch of cases was filed before the High Court in C.W.J.C. 4343
of 1993 and 4169 of 1993. The appellant-College, it appears, was
impleaded as respondent in those proceedings but no notice was served
upon them. However, while disposing of these writ petitions on
18.11.1993 the High Court observed that since 1973 no institution can
claim to have either been affiliated or granted recognition by the University
in the Faculty of Homoeopathy either under the University Act or the State
Board Act.It is not in dispute that the State Government has not granted
any permission to any Institution so far permitting those to undertake
imparting of any course of study in Homoeopathy or to admit students to
any such course.By no stretch of imagination, it can be said that on the
date of enforcement of the State Regulation Act, any institution was having
any order of affiliation or recognition with the respondent Bihar
University in its favour in exercise of any of the statutory provisions. The
High Court directed the State Government, the University and the
Council should finally dispose of the matter relating to grant of affiliation
to Homoeopathy Institutions, which claim to be pre-existing within a
time frame fixed by it. Pursuant to which an order was made by the
respondent-University stating that the University has a legal difficulty to
publish the results or issue any certificate or mark-sheet against the
aforesaid directions of the High Court of Patna.
Special Leave Petitions were filed before this Court in Special Leave
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Petition Nos. 6571 of 1994 and 7389 of 1994. This Court by an order
made on 18.4.1994 disposed of the matter as follows :
In these matters the question urged by counsel was that the High
Court committed a factual error in assuming that the College was
not affiliated to any University nor had it received the permission
of the State Government and, therefore, the petitioners were not
entitled to any relief. An attempt was made by counsel to show
that the factual position was just otherwise. In exercise of
jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution, this Court is
loathe to go into disputed questions of fact. If the High Court has
based its judgment on an erroneous premises the proper course is
to have that corrected by way of Review Petition. We would,
therefore, permit the petitioners to move a Review Petition within
15 days from today and if that is done the High Court will, without
raising the question of limitation, determine and decide the Review
Petition on merits. In so far as the request of the 3rd party Dr.
Arjune Pandey is concerned, it would be open to him to move the
High Court when the Review Petition is filed. The High Court
would decide whether or not to entertain his plea. So far as
Mazaffarpur Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital is
concerned, it may also follow the same procedure and move the
High Court for permission to seek review of the order. All these
petitions will stand disposed of accordingly. I.A. Nos. 1 & 2 will
stand so disposed of.
Subsequently, before the High Court review petitions are filed by
specifically making an averment that directions have been issued by the
Government of Bihar to have inspection of all the Colleges imparting
education in Homoeopathy Science before granting affiliation or
recognition and the University constituted a Committee under
notification dated 17.7.1982. This Committee inspected 29 Homoeopathy
Colleges, including that of the appellant, and submitted a report on
16.8.1983 and recommended affiliation of the appellant-College as well
as of certain others Colleges. As a result of the recommendations made
by the aforesaid Committee, Bihar University issued a notification on
19.6.1985 granting affiliation to the appellant-College and accordingly
the appellant-College deposited a sum of Rs. 50,000/- with the Registrar
of Bihar University on 16.8.1985. Both the notification and the receipt
thereto were produced before the High Court.
The High Court, however, did not examine this aspect of the
question at all. While disposing of the writ petitions, the High Court
adverted to certain features of the case arising in the facts prior to the
grant of recognition or affiliation which was cancelled by an order made
by the State Government on 30.4.1983. It is thereafter the affiliation has
been granted to the appellant-College in terms of the provisions of the
Bihar Development of Homoeopathy System of Medicine Act, 1953
[hereinafter referred to as the 1953 Act] under Section 36-A which
enabled the University to recognise educational institutions giving
training in and lay down a course of training in homeopathic system of
medicine, prescribe qualification for admission to such a course, hold
examinations and confer, grant or issue degrees, diploma or certificates
in the homoeopathic system of medicine and frame rules and do such
other ancillary acts. While disposing of the writ petitions from which the
Review Petitions arose the High Court had relied upon the Bihar
Homoeopathic Medical Educational Institutions (Regulation & Control)
Act, 1987 [hereinafter referred to as the 1987 Act] which came into
force on March 31, 1987 which provides that no educational institution
relating to Homoeopathy System of Medicines shall be organised,
maintained, managed or promoted or any admission to be taken to a
course of study of any University relating to conferment of any degree,
diploma or certificate in the said learning without prior permission of the
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State Government under Section 2 of the said Act. The High Court has
lost sight of the fact that affiliation or recognition had been granted to
the appellant-College on 19.6.1985 which is long prior to the 1987 Act
which came into force on March 31, 1987. Therefore, the question of
such a College obtaining recognition or affiliation from the Bihar
University with prior permission of the State Government in terms of the
1987 Act would not arise at all. At the relevant time, the provisions in
force were Section 36-A of the 1953 Act. It is on this basis this Court
had given directions on 18.4.1994 while disposing of the special leave
petition Nos. 6571 of 1994 and 7389 of 1994.
However, Shri H.L. Aggarwal, the learned Senior Advocate for the
first respondent, submitted that in view of the fact that the High Court
had dismissed the Review Petitions, it is not appropriate for this Court to
interfere with the order made by the High Court on two grounds, firstly,
that the point urged before this Court was not raised before the High
Court at all and secondly, that in any event, the recognition obtained at
the hands of the Bihar University without prior permission of the State
Government is of no use.
On both these contentions, we think, the learned counsel is
wrong. Firstly, the matter cannot be looked at or examined without
bearing in mind the aspects considered by this Court to which we have
already adverted to while asking the High Court to review the matter.
Further the pleadings raised in the case clearly indicate that the
appellant-College did have recognition as early as in 1985 which had
been issued under the provisions of the 1953 Act which is the relevant
Act in force at the time which did not require any permission being
obtained from the Government before grant of recognition. Thus we find
that the High Court clearly erred in not reviewing its order earlier made.
It is now brought to our notice that the appellant-College has since
been closed after the orders issued by the University on 18.11.1994, we
direct that the order made by us shall be effective only in the event the
appellant-College reopens from the next academic year which is stated to
commence from July 2002 with all the necessary infrastructure and fulfil
all the conditions thereto under the relevant provisions of the enactments
in force.
Subject to aforesaid directions, we allow this appeal and set aside
the order made by the High Court in Civil Review No. 91 of 1994 and
allow the review by setting aside the order made in C.W.J.C. No. 4169 of
1993 in so far as the appellant-College is concerned. However, in the
circumstances of the case, there shall be no order as to costs.
.J.
[ S. RAJENDRA BABU ]
....J.
[ DORAISWAMY RAJU ]
SEPTEMBER 17, 2001.