The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of the Central Government, among others, on a plea challenging the appointment of Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deo Pujari as Chairperson of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM).
The Division Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice on the public interest litigation filed by an Ayurvedic practitioner and former President of the Central Council for Indian Medicine, the apex body to administer and manage the AYUSH system of medicine in the country. The matter will be heard next on October 22.
In 2020, the NCISM Act, 2020 was enacted, setting up a new body named National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, thereby replacing the CCIM. Section 4(2) of the NCISM Act provides that only a person having a post graduate degree in any of the disciplines of Indian System of Medicine, as also having an experience of at least ten years as a leader in the area of healthcare delivery and growth of Indian system of medicine can be appointed as a Chairperson of the Commission.
Filed by one Dr. Raghunandan Sharma through Advocates Ashok Kumar Panigrahi and Gautam Kumar Laha, the plea states that on June 9, 2021, the Centre issued a notification appointing Mr. Pujari as the Chairperson of the Commission.
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The plea alleges that Mr. Pujari does not hold a postgraduate degree viz. Doctor of Medicine (‘MD’) or any other similar or equivalent recognised postgraduate degree. Thereby, his appointment is a blatant violation of requirement of the Section 4(2) of the NCISM Act, 2020, claims the plea.
In this regard, the plea seeks quashing of the appointment of Mr. Pujari as the Chairperson of the Commission.
The matter is tagged with a similar petition filed by Dr. Ved Prakash Tyagi, who is also an Ayurvedic practitioner and a former President of the CCIM, challenging the same appointment of Mr. Pujari.