CHENNAI: The management of the National Institute of Siddha at Tambaram Sanatorium was rapped by the Madras High Court for running the institution without recognition from the appropriate authority for a particular subject.
Without getting recognition, admitting students for doing research itself is not correct. This itself would show how the national institute is being administered by the Central government, observed Justice N Kirubakaran, last week.
The judge was hearing a writ petition from I Nithyamala, who was selected for PhD programme in ‘Gunapadam’ subject by the institute. But she could not do the programme as the institute did not renew the recognition. Hence, the present petition for a direction to the university to refer the petitioner for the July session after granting eligibility certificate and provisional registration.
The judge said the institute was established with the laudable object of providing research and higher studies in Siddha system of medicine so that the same is recognised worldwide.
Though the institute was inaugurated in 2005 with much fanfare as an autonomous body under the Department of Ayush of the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the case on hand would show that the institute is not being administered properly.
To know the correct position under which the institute is being administered, the judge called for a set of details from the Union Ministry of Ayush and the institute and posted the matter for hearing on March 22.
They included the number of departments that are established (with date of commencement), whether recognition has been obtained in respect of the departments and courses being conducted by the respective departments.