The Karnataka High Court directed the Department of Medical Education to consider applications filed by 25 nursing schools seeking approval/recognition to start fresh courses in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) for the academic year 2021-22, within a period of eight weeks and communicate the decision to them immediately.
"An order of this nature is required to be passed in view of the peculiar facts of this case, namely that applications were filed by the petitioners in 2019 itself and applications have remained without being considered. The order should contain sufficient reasons for taking the decision either to grant approval or refuse approval," said Justice P Krishna Bhat, while disposing of the petition filed by JPI Dass School of Nursing and other 24 nursing schools from the city.
Petitioners intending to start a fresh course in GNM had made an application in 2019, seeking recognition with effect from the academic year 2019-20. However, no decision was taken by the respondents — the Department of Medical Education and the Karnataka State Nursing Council — regarding either grant of approval or refusal.
Based on the applications submitted by the petitioners, the Karnataka State Nursing Council had placed the proposals before the high power committee constituted by the Department of Medical Education but no decision was taken on them.
