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Apex court to hear Venugopal’s petition on Monday

Legal Correspondent

Faculty Association plea also listed

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the writ petition filed by P. Venugopal, who has since been removed as AIIMS Director, challenging the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill.

The measure, passed by Parliament, fixes an upper age limit of 65 for the Director of the AIIMS and PGI.

The court will also hear that day the petition filed by the Faculty Association of AIIMS and its president B.K. Khaitan for a direction to restrain the Centre and Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss from interfering in the affairs of the institute.

A Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice R.V. Raveendran fixed the date after senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi ‘mentioned’ the matter for early hearing.

(Now that the President has given assent to the Bill and it has been notified, the petitioner will accordingly amend the prayer to challenge the Act.)

Retrospective effect

Dr. Venugopal said he was appointed on July 3, 2003 for a five-year term under the Act governing the AIIMS.

Under Section 11 of the AIIMS Act, 1956, there was no upper age limit for the tenure of the Director. This section was amended with retrospective effect and a condition incorporated to the effect that the Director of the AIIMS and PGI would hold office only up to the age of 65 and that the present incumbent would cease to hold the post on his attaining 65.

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