High Court of Karnataka
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed the concerned authorities to upload the inspection reports pertaining to the Nursing Institutions for viewing by the students and parents before seeking admission.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued this direction, noticing that there is no system in place to provide information about nursing institutions.
The court has directed the Indian Nursing Council (INC), Karnataka Nursing Council (KNC) and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to set up respective web portals where all the inspection reports pertaining to Nursing Institutions are uploaded college-wise, as regards all aspects which come under the administrative supervision of these authorities.
The authorities have also been directed to provide necessary Application Programming Interface (APIs) to each other (INC, KNC, RGUHS and the Health and Family Welfare Department) to automatically access the data uploaded on their respective websites with reference to the particular college/school/Institution.
“The above information, data and inspection reports, as regards the infrastructure facility at each of the colleges, schools, Institutions, as also all licenses, sanctions, etc., issued by the concerned authority, would have to be uploaded onto the websites of the respective Universities. The details of any litigation that the particular educational Institution is involved in are to be uploaded,” Justice Suraj Govindaraj said.
The court further said that the details of any complaints received by the INC, KNC, and RGUHS to be uploaded on their respective web portal, with an option to submit an online grievance by any student, parent or teacher/lecturer to be also made available on the said portal.
The court issued these directions while deciding the petitions filed by Karnataka State Private Management Association of Health Institutions and Karnataka State Association of the Management of Nursing and Allied Health Institutions.
The petitioners had challenged the November 5, 2024, communication by the Principal Secretary, Family and Welfare Department to the Deputy Commissioners across the state, directing them to carry out an inspection of the nursing institutions in their jurisdictions.
After perusing the provisions of the statutes, the court said that a Deputy Commissioner cannot substitute the specialised agencies like RGUHS, INC and KNC.
The state, being the licensing authority, would not have any authority to seek compliance with the conditions imposed by authorities such as KNC, INC and RGUHS, which will be the sole prerogative of those Institutions and not of the licensing authority, the court said while quashing the November 5, 2024, communication.