Latest news with #SheelNagu
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
HC orders five-week probe into NEET fraud in BAMS admissions
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed Guru Ravi Dass Ayurved University to complete within five weeks its inquiry into allegations that 15 students of Shiv Shakti Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, Moga, were admitted to the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) course on the basis of manipulated NEET details. The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, while disposing of the students' petition, kept their results in abeyance and made their continuation in classes and internships strictly provisional. The 15 petitioners, admitted across the 2020 21 and 2021 22 academic sessions, had approached the court against show-cause notices issued by the university threatening cancellation of their admissions. The notices alleged that during the admission process, the petitioners' NEET ranking details were 'incorrectly furnished and deliberately suppressed,' giving an impression that they had qualified the national entrance test. The students had been given five days to explain why their admissions should not be cancelled. During hearings, the university informed the bench that the admissions were facilitated by two admission agents, Tarsem Kumar and Raj Kumar, who had filled the candidates' forms using doctored NEET data. A complaint from Rajbir Singh, a Patiala resident, had led the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Ravi Dass Ayurved University to order a probe. The inquiry was entrusted to Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who is presently seized of the matter. On June 16, 2025, the court had allowed the students to appear in their ongoing examinations provisionally. In Tuesday's order, the bench underscored that it would not examine the merits of the allegations to avoid prejudicing the inquiry but found it appropriate to issue directions to balance the interests of the petitioners and the integrity of the ongoing probe. 'The enquiry shall be completed within five weeks; results of the examinations taken under interim orders shall not be declared but will remain subject to the probe's outcome; all petitioners except the two final-year students may attend next semester classes provisionally, and the two final-year students who completed their last-semester exams may start their one-year internship from July 30, also provisionally, all directions being subject to the enquiry's outcome,' the court said in its order . The petitioners' counsel had urged that without declaration of results and permission to progress academically, their careers would be jeopardized, especially for the two senior-most students who had completed their final semester and were required to commence a one-year internship starting July 30. The bench acceded to a limited relief, clarifying that no equity could be claimed by the petitioners if the inquiry ultimately confirmed irregularities. The ruling comes amid heightened scrutiny of irregular admissions in professional courses, particularly where admission agents have been accused of gaming centralised counselling by supplying false NEET data.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
HC flags lack of awareness on mental health legal aid, seeks early framing of rules
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed concern over the lack of awareness among judicial officers, police, and custodial institutions about their statutory duty to inform persons with mental illness of their right to free legal aid, as guaranteed under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, hearing a public interest litigation filed by Pushpanjali Trust, noted that Section 27 of the 2017 Act makes it mandatory for magistrates, police officers, custodial authorities, and medical professionals incharge of mental health establishments to inform such persons about their entitlement to free legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. 'It is also informed that no orientation programme for making judicial officers aware of this statutory duty is undertaken by the Chandigarh Judicial Academy or any other institution, including the legal aid institutions,' the court recorded. It directed its registry to inform the Chandigarh Judicial Academy, the State Legal Services Authorities of Punjab and Haryana, UT Chandigarh, and the High Court Legal Services Committee to take appropriate steps to address the gap. The court also impleaded the central government through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a respondent in the case, directing service of notice to Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain. The ministry has been asked to file its reply within four weeks, specifically clarifying why a Medical Health Review Board has not been constituted under Section 73 of the Act for Chandigarh. During the hearing, counsel for the states of Punjab and Haryana informed the court that the process of framing rules under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, was underway, and sought four weeks to finalise and notify them. The bench granted time and posted the matter for further hearing on September 4. In compliance with an earlier order, the Punjab government assured the court that documentary proof of deposit of Rs 5,000 in costs would be filed before the next date. Managing trustee of the petitioner trust, Aditya Rametra, who appeared in person, had emphasised that failure to inform mentally ill persons of their legal rights amounted to denial of statutory protection.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab govt's move to acquire land under land pooling policy under HC lens
Representative Image CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government's land pooling policy, under which the state planned to acquire thousands of acres of land from across the state for developing residential and industrial zones, was challenged before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The petitioners in this case submitted to the HC that the move to acquire such a large chunk of land would have widespread negative effects on the agrarian economy of Punjab, which is a major contributor to the nation's food grain supply. During the hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the HC was informed that the said policy is directly contrary to the spirit and mandate of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act), which is a central legislation. It was also submitted that the land pooling policy is being used as a tool to acquire fertile agricultural land across the state of Punjab while circumventing the mandatory procedures laid down under the LARR Act 2013, such as conducting a Social Impact Assessment (Section 4) and Environmental Impact Assessment. The LARR Act 2013 (Section 10) categorically bars the acquisition of fertile agricultural land in the ordinary course and only as a last resort. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like My Brows Look Fuller Looking Now [See Results] NULASTIN Learn More Undo The case was heard for around half and hour by the division bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu. Responding to the plea, the counsel for the Punjab govt contended that the land pooling policy was notified under the 2025 policy, not under the LARR Act 2013, as argued by the petitioner. On this, the Chief Justice's bench advised the counsel for the petitioner to amend the petition accordingly to challenge the acquisition of land as per the 2025 policy. The matter was adjourned for August 19 for further hearing. 'Now we will amend the petition challenging the land pooling policy 2025. Although we tried to convince the court that there is not much difference, on the advice of the bench, we will amend our petition accordingly. The matter has now been fixed for August 19 for further hearing,' counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Sahir Singh Virk, told TOI. The matter reached the HC in the wake of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Naveender P K Singh of Mohali and Samita Kaur of Ludhiana. The petitioners have mainly prayed for quashing the impugned notifications dated July 4 and to restrain the state of Punjab from proceeding with the land pooling policy without adhering to the due process of law under the LARR Act, especially when such fertile agricultural land is at stake.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Running on gensets for 2 years': Mohali bus terminal developer hits out at GMADA
Mahakram Developers told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday that the Mohali Bus Terminal-cum-Commercial Complex has been forced to run on diesel generators for two years because the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) wrote to the state power utility blocking an electricity connection, citing a pending appeal against the project's resolution plan. 'There is no stay in their favour. If we default, the concession agreement provides for termination—why stop us from even starting?' Mahakram's counsel Amit Jhanji submitted, seeking a direction to GMADA and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to restore supply and let the project operate. GMADA, for its part, has pressed the High Court for urgent intervention against what it calls a 'dangerous dilution' of safeguards meant to protect public safety in large infrastructure projects. Its writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution challenges the application of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016, to the public-private partnership it originally awarded in 2009, arguing that the IBC framework allows new developers to take over without meeting the stringent technical norms embedded in the concession agreement. The authority wants the High Court to set aside the National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) October 2023 approval of Mahakram's plan and remand the case for a technical re-evaluation of bidders, insisting that the IBC's financial creditor–centric process sidelined GMADA's statutory mandate and allowed entities 'disqualified at the tender stage' to control a critical public asset. The integrated bus terminal and commercial hub was awarded to C&C Towers Limited through a two-stage tender requiring bidders to have executed similar ₹50 crore projects. C&C defaulted on milestones, and GMADA moved to terminate the contract. However, insolvency proceedings admitted by the NCLT in September 2019 triggered a moratorium under the IBC, halting GMADA's action. Classified merely as an 'operational creditor,' the statutory authority lost its vote in the Committee of Creditors (CoC) despite owning the land. In January 2020, the Resolution Professional issued an Expression of Interest cutting the net worth requirement for resolution applicants to ₹25 crore and dropping sector-specific experience altogether. Mahakram Developers' plan was later cleared by the CoC and approved by the NCLT in 2023, prompting GMADA's challenge. Appearing before Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Mahakram's counsel stressed that all obligations and penalties are contained in the concession agreement. 'If we fail, terminate our concession—but don't paralyse the project. For two years, the bus stand has run on generators, imposing unnecessary costs,' he said. GMADA countered that its NCLAT appeal against the NCLT approval was pending and sought liberty to raise fresh statutory and constitutional grounds, including alleged conflicts between the IBC's overriding effect and the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995. The bench questioned GMADA's justification for blocking operations without an interim stay. 'Your objections to the resolution plan were dismissed in 2023. Grounds not raised earlier may now be barred by res judicata,' the Chief Justice noted, referring to Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Expressing dissatisfaction with arguments from both sides, the court said the factual record needed clarity. It directed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to respond and posted the case for detailed hearing alongside a related PIL highlighting the deteriorating condition of the terminal and the approach roads. GMADA maintains that the IBC, in its current form, subverts statutory safeguards for public infrastructure by letting financial creditors select resolution applicants solely on financial metrics. It has asked the High Court to remand the case for a technical re-evaluation, restore its statutory role in setting qualification standards, and declare that such projects cannot bypass original eligibility norms.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Reservation policy choice, not right: HC turns down OBC quota plea in Patiala law admissions
1 2 Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has categorically held that it cannot issue directions to enforce reservation for other backward classes (OBC) in admissions to a law course offered by a Patiala-based university in Punjab, as the constitutional provision governing such reservation is merely enabling in nature. The court emphasised that Article 15(4) of the Constitution did not impose a mandatory obligation on the state or educational institutions to give reservation. Rather, it confers a discretionary power to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes. The court also clarified that a university which is not classified as a central educational institution under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, cannot be legally required to provide a specific percentage of reservation for other backward classes (OBCs). A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry passed these orders recently while dismissing a plea filed by a female candidate belonging to the BC. The petitioner, being a Jat Sikh (except in Bharatpur and Dhaulpur districts) community, Rajasthan, which is recognised as a backward class under the Govt of India, was aggrieved by the fact that no reservation for BC is provided in admissions at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala, Punjab. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Your Current Make-Up Routine Might Be Aging You Learn More Undo RGNUL Patiala is constituted under the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law Punjab Act, 2006. It was contended that other national law universities have provisions for reserving 27% of seats for the OBC category. The RGNUL, by not providing any reservation for OBCs, acted unconstitutionally, her counsel contended. After hearing all parties, the bench observed that the petitioner could not point out any statutory provision mandating a particular quantum of reservation in admissions to courses imparted in RGNUL Patiala. On the petitioner's reliance upon The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, where, as per Section 3, the extent of reservation for OBCs is 27%, the bench held that the said Act of 2006 applies only to the central educational institutions, which is evident from the introductory part of the said act. "More so, RGNUL Patiala, not being a central educational institute under The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, cannot be compelled to provide for a particular quantum of reservation as regards OBCs," the HC held while dismissing the plea.
